Tiger Mother, Tiger Mother
With ambition like no other,
What aspirations running wild
Could force such rearing on a child?

Morning, night and afterschool,
Why so strict? Why so cruel?
To what ends dare you aspire?
Why straight A’s your goal entire?

Why deny your precious cub
Sleepovers and drama club?
Why no painting, only math?
Why condemn a laxer path?

What of games and kid pursuits?
Surely free time bears some fruits.
Lounging’s worth as much as learning,
Giving brains the fuel for burning.

What of giggling, goofing off?
At such slacking you doth scoff,
No activity’s blessed unless
It leads to scholarly success.

But shouldn’t children get to be
Little children, running free?
Making friendships and mistakes,
For that’s a lot of what life takes.

When the graduate’s off stage,
Freed from academic cage,
Let her meet each future challenge
With both work and play in balance.

Tiger Mother, Tiger Mother
With ambition like no other,
What aspirations running wild
Could force such rearing on a child?
.
©2011 Carlotta Eike Stankiewicz