It must have felt great!

The photo is of long ago

smiling faces all in a row

There's Alan.... and there's John...

They were so good in footy

... part of every team.

You remember the day the image was captured

... it reminds you of good times

.... and friends who shared your feelings. 

I remember the pain

The pain of hiding from those tormentors

I remember the laughing faces.... who inflicted pain

It must have felt great to do that... 

.... to trap the ones who could not hide

To hit and humiliate 

To share the feeling with mates

.... the power of knowing that the victim 

is powerless.... and weak

It must have felt great to do that. 

OK... next photo.... 

This one is a staff photo.... 

Those teachers were so good.... 

full of knowledge and encouragement. 

You remember them well. 

I remember them too..... 

I remember the teacher who delighted in the power

.... to catch those boys and to able to punish... 

to inflict pain.... 

..... swinging that length of hose 

must have felt so good. The little boys surely deserved such pain.... 

I can remember the smile on his face.... 

It must have felt great to do that. 

I wish that I could look at the photos

and feel the way that you do. 

It would feel great to do that.

© Ian Croft May 2021