History Lesson in 2093

The year is 2093
Today I learned in History
how different school life used to be
Artiin streamed me videos
Old ones, new ones, juxtaposed

It then assigned my latest task
Then and Now: Compare, Contrast
Who needs to know about the past?
But Artiin showed me more and more
photographs from times before

I learned that schools were buildings then
You’d learn to write with things called ‘pens’
You’d even make these things called ‘friends’
And also, several times a day
you’d be set free to go and play

And then you’d do the weirdest things
like hug, hold hands, high five and sing
like slide down slides and swing on swings
like skip with ropes or kick a ball
like climb and skip, like spin and fall

But this one fact you won’t believe
that teachers then were human beings
entrusted once, with overseeing
the progress of the world’s young minds:
to learn, to love, to dream, be kind

Inside me, primal feelings churned
For human touch and smiles, I yearned
Then Artiin asked, What did you learn?
I told him, Nothing, with a sigh
Then did this thing they once called ‘cry’