20150722 (learning)

Today as I drove through the university

I briefly glimpsed a Society for the Blind

Aide and her client with a cane walking

Across the campus a fairly busy area

For pedestrians cars on their ways

To class to the museums to the shoreway

She was not helping him watch right

Watch left people passing from behind

I wondered how much learning is precisely

Flying not exactly blind for surely

She perceived every danger and would as

Surely snatch him in the last minute

But he had the cane with its sounding and 

Its reach some way to sense the surroundings

Voices nearing fading away the whoosh 

Of cars passing or braking left right

Nearer the Sight Center stoplights were fitted 

With sound signals intoning conditions but

Not everywhere like on the paths to the 

Circle the VA the dormitories

Were we able to hear his synapses

Clicking what a clatter we’d behold

Every instruction reviewed compared

As he judged guessed the next step

Matched with each clue felt by the cane

Now part of his arm fingers ears head

I can’t imagine the fears he felt

In the confusion of noises motions thoughts

As well his teacher she too embraced 

All these things deftly measured 

When to intervene when not

Discourage not disparage not stifle

His attempts the goal of his walking 

Safely unassisted might seem desperately

Distant listen George two weeks ago

You didn’t think you could find a door

In a hallway now you breeze through

If I have to stop you it’s a learning time

For your ears hands head even if

I have to show you twice three times

Even more you know you can get it

You’re learning even when I don’t speak 

All your systems knowledge 

Compounding to keep you safe

That’s you already getting it down

Automatically we concentrate 

Now on the harder stuff remember 

When you were a kid who could see

The teacher let you read until she heard

You go off the rails and then interrupted

That’s like me now congratulate yourself

For every step every word that you take

That you read there’s precious little

Mystery in teaching a kid how to ride a bike

But you’ll never get beyond 

If we don’t take off the training wheels

Let you sense falling learn how to correct

A couple scraped knees a mispronounced word

The temporary embarrassment bumping into a pole 

Looking back you know it was worth it

c. J.S.Manista, 2015