WHERE HAVE THEY GONE?
Mrs. Kathleen Noronha
Special Educator

The stone walls are silent
From the classrooms, not a sound
The chalkboard, duster abandoned
Not a single student to be found.

The corridors are empty
No movement in the hall
The quiet is deafening
Once bustling, loud silence, that’s all.

No child on the basketball court
The busy playground is bare;
An eerie silence in the canteen
The children have gone, but where?

I searched high and low,
To hear their chattering voice,
Teachers guiding students,
The typical school noise.

Each child in an institution
Brings along life and cheer,
Oh! Where have they gone?
Their sweet sounds I want to hear.

I want to see them huddled together
I long to hear the school bell;
All their cute little faces
With myriad stories to tell.

I am left with my thoughts and wishes
There is nothing I can hear or see
A tiny little virus unleashed,
And turned our world around completely.

Children locked in their houses
With gadgets as their friends,
Alone, isolated, but with a hope
That this pandemic will end.

As we pray to our Lord and Master
Jesus will make a way.
Our children will be back in school
Someday, soon… someday…