The Wail of the Well
Sitter och läser litteratur om specialpedagogik då jag stötte på en dikt som läraren May Ayres skrev 1923 om specialklasser för barn med inlärningssvårigheter av olika slag. Eller det var inte bara inlärningssvårigheter, men allt som gjorde att elever stack ut och den går såhär:
Johnny Jones has lost a leg,
Fanny's deaf and dumb,
Marie has epileptic fits,
Tom's eyes are on the bum,
Sadir stutters when she talks,
Mabel has T.B.
Morris is a splendid case of
imbecility.
Billy Brown's truant,
And Harold is a thief;
Teddy's parents give him dope,
And so he came to grief.
Gwendolin's millionaire,
Jerald is a fool;
So everyone of these darned kids
Goes to a special school.
They've specially nice teachers,
And special things to wear,
And special time to play in,
And special kind of air;
They've special lunches, right in school,
While I - it makes me wild!
I haven't any specialities -
I'm just a normal child.
