Prelude Part ll

Choices

Eleven Plus Examination; first milestone passed and signposts pointed to 'no-choice' choices - 
"Possible combinations of English: French: German: Latin?"
"Yes."
"Plus Greek?"
"No."
"Art: Needlework: Cookery?"
"Yes."
"Plus Shorthand and Typing?"
"No."
"Maths: Biology: Science: Physics: History: Geography?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
But only if The Arts were not first choice;  a 'no-choice' choice in action, curtailed by timetable restrictions and too few teachers, or too few hours in a day.


Summation

Life had come in six year slices;

first, a war torn, well populated family life:

second, a solitary, introverted world at school:

third, a dawn of self awareness, confidence

and growing realization of the enormity

of how much knowledge was on offer.

From  eighteen on, as if twelve years’ worth

of three-term-times-each had not been enough,

came another five-times-three at art college:

annual, pie chart segments, interspersed 
with dribs and drabs of holiday buffers

linking the rushing train of life and learning.

But the points changed

and sent me along a branch line -

to marriage, and children,

not the capital city of a teaching career.

Now whistle stop memories

halt at my brain station

as scenery blurs outside time’s window.

The engine followed its track to Now,

but  the train still holds fast to the rails…

Destination? Learning;  always changing.


This is the follow on from last Wednesday's Real Toad's challenge to write a prelude. :)