Flowers Are Red

Lagu ini bukan karya saya, hehehe. Tetapi suka banget karena kritis dan semestinya menggelitik para guru dan orang tua jika meresapi maknanya. 

"Pelangi itu berwarna-warni, 
sinar mentari di pagi hari juga berwarna-warni, 
lalu kenapa bunga harus berwarna merah dan daun harus berwarna hijau saja?" 

Lesson learned yang dapat saya petik dari lagu ini. . . Amat penting bagi setiap orang tua dan/atau guru untuk mengapresiasi setiap proses belajar anak, karena setiap saat dalam kehidupan seorang anak hakikatnya adalah proses belajar. Imajinasi mereka masih bebas dan berwarna-warni. Izinkanlah untuk berkembang, jangan langsung kita sekat-sekat.


By : Zain Bhikha (Original lyrics by Harry Chapin)

A little boy went first day at school
He got some crayons and he started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
The teacher said, "What you doin' young man?"
"I'm paintin' flowers, see?" 
"Well this is not the time for art young man,
And anyway flowers are green and red.
There's a time for everything young man
a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else,
for you're not the only one." 
And she said...
"Flowers are red
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
than the way they always have been seen "
But the little boy said...
"There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one" 

Well, the teacher said… "You're sassy.
There's a way that things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me..."
She said,
"Flowers are red 
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen "
But the little boy said again...
"There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one" 

Well, the teacher put him in a corner
She said… "It's for your own good…
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
responding like you should."
Well, finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to that teacher
And this is what he said,
"Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen"

Well, time went by like it always does
he moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said, "Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
So let's paint everyone." 
That little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him "why",
this is what he said, 
"Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen."

But there must still be a way to have our children say,
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one.