Learning To Read Again 

In this new school I could not hide, 
There was the need to have a guide, 
I did a test and saw a score, 
I’d never done this test before 
The teachers planned what I should do 
And this is what I’ll read to you 

A simple task for me was set, 
I had to write the alphabet 
Oh this is easy, so I thought 
Until I started , how I fought! 
Then teacher fixed my d’s and b’s 
And changed my twisted q’s and p’s 
Then made my “m” stand on its feet 
And”w” sit upon its seat 
“z” and “y” I’d quite forgot 
I thought I’d written the whole lot. 

I then had vowels long and short 
Again with these I fought and fought 
There were long a’s of every kind 
I had to keep them in my mind 
Ai, ay with sound the same 
A consonant e in the word game 
eigh as found neigh 
And this is what the horses say 

Long e I had to meet in greet
I heard it in the meat I eat 
I saw it when I told the chief
That I had just fought with a thief 

Then with long I I had to try 
L consonant e near made me cry 
Igh had the sound i 
Just as the y in your reply. 

And what a sigh I made with o 
To me twas neither friend not foe 
O consonant e in role and rope 
I told myself I could not cope 
Ough I found out though 
 Had the same sound when I wrote low 

So on to long u I did pass 
And found t’was going well at last 
U and vowel e as found in cute 
I thought I heard it too in brute 
In unicorn the “u”was heard 
“Few” also made a new “u” word 

Then came short vowels they weren’t too bad 
They did not make me feel so sad 
A was a in pat and bat 
E was in red and bed 
I was in pig and jig 
O was in rot and got 
U was in hug and also jug 
These were found in every page 
The consonants they made their cage 
There were exceptions to each rule 
But that is why we go to school 

Syllable division syllabication 
All formed part of my education 
These were the intricacies of reading 
But I knew that I was succeeding. 

With reading skills and book in hand 
I now think I understand 
The writings of these authors great 
No longer do I speak of being late 
To read of places, birds and trees 
And overcome difficulties 
And sit to read and feel at ease 
Oh how this makes me very pleased. 

 Composed by Velda Mings - 1998

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