Raising parents

by Jenny Erlanger

I’ve told them dinner must be served

at six o’clock each night.

How hard is that, I ask, to understand?

I’ve told them when my friends come round

to stay right out of sight,

another very practical command.

I’ve told my dad to clear away

the mess inside the shed

and Mum to tidy up the pantry shelves.

It seems they haven’t listened

to a single word I’ve said.

They’re clearly much too focused on themselves.

It’s time they learned that I’m the boss,

that I make all the rules,

that life was always meant to be that way.

They’re proving hard to educate,

this stubborn pair of fools.

I’ve yet to give an order they’ll obey!