Comparative Living Poem by Raj Arumugam

they were taught comparative living when they were kids
a kind of comparative studies,
where their parents sat them on their laps and said:
See, little Jack studies hard;
See, little Jonah scores top grades, and goes to the best class…

in speaking these words the parents live
the nightmares of the inadequacies of their own comparative parents
who said: See, we don’t have the latest gadgetry and posh homes
of the Joneses…

and so, come - darling children of the world,
and the youth of nations,
and so little Mina and little Hussein come learn these comparisons;
and little Wen-Yang, and Jihyun and Hitomi, and the innocent children of the world,
you come too -
as the adults, our loving parents, live their own nightmares
teach comparative values
and wrestle in the mud of their living by comparing