The teacher was alone in a dead room
so I asked,
"What of these things upon the walls?"
She answered,
"The walls, like the papers of fidgety bureaucrats,
Have terrible import
Without meaning."
A display of pronouns
A map of Africa
A dictionary page ten times normal
A string of 52 letters
A set of thirty poorly written papers
A large picture of a small snake
A picture of a man and child watching the setting sun
pictures of random things
Pictures covering formerely useful space
No blank walls upon which to stare
to dream
to think
No windows allowed
Pictures covering useful walls with
useless
distracting information
distracting non-information
visual noise
I asked,
"Why so many things upon the walls?"
Lowering her voice she went on softly,
"Those who judge me like blank walls not at all, but
they are not equipped to judge relevance."
She watched my face before she continued,
"Do not be alarmed; this is as it should be.
At first, I too was disturbed thinking that all things mattered, but
Now I know that my judges, bureaucrats all, are correct.
The room represents the bureaucrats' desire.
This room represents that with which the children must contend.
This room represents all the useless things that distract
from learning
from doing.
Here is where the bureaucrats teach the children to
contend with other bureaucrats.
This room is perfect.
I understood, but wished that I did not.