Teacher, Teacher

by Leslie Fish

from the album,
FIRESTORM- Songs of the Third World War
 
Teacher, Teacher
Do what you can
To teach your children
all the knowledge of man.
Teach them how to think
and how to survive
a world that eats
the soul and body alive.
 
Teacher, Teacher
You know what they face-
a sea of bigatry
for age sex or race
or any other cause
that's useful this year.
Try to warn the children
while they're still safe in here.
 
 
Teacher, Teacher
The foe waits outside
to turn your children
into tools for his pride.
He's always scratching
for a way to come in-
Here comes a pressure group,
he's trying again.
 
Teacher, Teacher
You know your alone.
Your boss won't save your skin
he's saving his own.
Nor will the parents help
but only condemn.
They want their children
tought to be just like them.
 
 
Here comes the beaurocrat
with fifty more rules
to tie your hands and take more bread
from the schools.
Here comes the preacher
trying hard to get in-
He wants all children tought
his pet brand of sin.
 
Here comes the government
with plenty to say-
It wants your children tought
to serve and obey.
Here comes the school board-
and that's worst of all-
They want the teachers' pot
to cave in and fall.
 
 
Teacher, Teacher
You know what you'll find-
They want their thumb-print
stamped on everyone's mind
The kids suspect it
and resent it like hell-
and all too often,
they suspect you as well.
 
Teacher, Teacher
Tell me, how can you teach?
When all the grownups only
want you to preach?
How can you teach the kids
to think for themselves
with all the censors steeling
books of the shelves?
 
Teacher gaurding the dwindalling flame-
How many of your kids
have beaten the game?
The wind is rising
and the night's falling fast-
Will you run save yourself
or fight to the last?