When I was a child I sat an exam. <br />This test was so simple <br />There was no way i could fail. <br /> <br />Q1. Describe the taste of the Moon. <br /> <br />It tastes like Creation I wrote, <br />it has the flavour of starlight. <br /> <br />Q2. What colour is Love? <br /> <br />Love is the colour of the water a man <br />lost in the desert finds, I wrote. <br /> <br />Q3. Why do snowflakes melt? <br /> <br />I wrote, they melt because they fall <br />on to the warm tongue of God. <br /> <br />There were other questions. <br />They were as simple. <br /> <br />I described the grief of Adam <br />when he was expelled from Eden. <br />I wrote down the exact weight of <br />an elephant's dream <br /> <br />Yet today, many years later, <br />For my living I sweep the streets <br />or clean out the toilets of the fat <br />hotels. <br /> <br />Why? Because constantly I failed <br />my exams. <br />Why? Well, let me set a test. <br /> <br />Q1. How large is a child's <br />imagination? <br />Q2. How shallow is the soul of the <br />Minister for exams?<br /><br />Brian Patten<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/minister-for-exams/
