Pen Licence Perils Poem

I have never been a fan of pen licences. As a student I didn't like them and as a teacher, and a left handed writer, I refused to implement them in my classes. I figured there were more authentic ways to encourage kids to write neatly. I would explain to kids that writing neatly was a way of showing respect for your readers, your audience. Whatever you write with -pen, pencil, marker, the same message applies- its about respecting your audience.

Having spent my entire writing life railing against the false prediction of my very first teacher who told me, 'Alan, you need to write with your right hand, otherwise you will never be a neat writer,' you can understand why I don't hold much store in pen licences. I am proud of my left handed writing. It may be slow and deliberate at times, but it is neat, quite neat. My teacher's prediction proved to be way off the mark. Her words have motivated me to dispel her dire predictions for my handwriting future.

So, here's my poem in defence of all those young learners doing their very best to write neatly...

Pen Licence Perils

Yesterday
Tomorrow looked so much better
Than it does today
Doubt is now all around me
It rumbles like thunder in the distance…
Personally, I think pen licences are a bit silly
But, my teacher thinks we must have one before we can
Give up our pencils
I just want to write
-sometimes with a pen
-sometimes with a pencil
We don’t need a book licence to read
So, why do need a pen licence?
Today, I grip my pencil more tightly
Words form reluctantly on the page
Nervous letters
Shaky S'es
Trembling T's
Yesterday
Tomorrow looked so much better
Than it does today
I never needed a knife and fork licence
Or a shoelace tying licence
Pen licences should be struck off
With the stroke of a…
pen

Alan j Wright

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