We say our children are our future,
Yet our minds are on other things;
Big homes, nice clothes, and brand new cars,
And the size of our yearly earnings.

We buy our children the latest toys
Whatever they seem to ask for.
We provide their needs, we provide their wants
Still we try to give them more.

We need to stop and think back a while
To a time when things were simple.
To a Christmas when a quarter and an orange
Would bring a smile and a dimple.

When "kick the can" or "hide and seek"
Was the name of the latest game,
And pilfering a cookie from the cookie jar
Was a child's biggest shame.

Children were given lots of love,
Warm meals prepared with care,
A place to lay their heads at night,
Clean clothes for them to wear.

With all the latest technology
Our children have idle time;
If left to themselves and all these advances
They can be cut down in their prime.

We need to get back to the basics
Get involved in our children's lives.
Show our children we're ready to listen,
And our relationship with them revive.

Talk to your children and listen,
Encourage them to tell you their cares.
Slow down your lives, and savor each moment,
And temper all this with prayers.

Yes, our children are our future,
We must prepare them for days ahead.
Let's arm them with love and a sense of good values
So their future they won't have to dread.

About Mark Burford...
Mark Burford is currently attending Kennesaw State University to become a high school math teacher. He lives in Dalton, GA.

Mr. Burford has generously provided permission to reprint the above poem in your school newspaper. If you plan to publish the above, please send him an email and let him know. He can be emailed at cmburford@hotmail.com (at home) or wctco@dalton.net.