Rohan

Rohan ©
Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
July 24, 2023

When in my younger Brooklyn days
At a children’s museum I did flourish
Working 10 years in that fantasy land
Puerile minds I would try to nourish

So lucky I was to engage and teach
I tried my best to succeed
I didn’t want to hinder joy
Such work takes a special breed

Inclusion of children with disabilities
Was one of my daily tasks
Sensitizing visitors to diversity
In life sometimes we wear different masks

One teenage boy named Rohan
Would often choose to spend the day
Quietly crafting creative gems
In his own uniquely special way

You see Rohan who came from a Caribbean Isle
Was subdued and stoically calm
His lilting words came infrequently
But each word well chosen like a psalm

He would never fuss nor complain at all
He’d rarely be unfocused nor fidget
Rohan was born supremely unique
Each finger having only one small digit
 
Yet in between each digit of his
A pen or crayon would firmly lay
And with acumen he’d proceed to draw
And brighten up my day


I would try to honestly compliment
His works of wonder and finesse
His confidence I hoped would grow and grow
Hopefully never to regress

Just to show the bond that grew
By praising his talent and ability
I’d like to share an incident
His dedication you’ll clearly see

One warm Summer’s day I thought
How exciting prisms would be
To place beneath our ripple tank
So rainbows the children could see

Well prisms are basically fancy cut glass
And to some, diamonds they would seem
So on that day they were snatched away
By some children with a far-fetched scheme

I guess they thought rich they would be
With diamonds in their pocket
Then calmly Rohan looked my way
Then darted off like a rocket

In just a few minutes Rohan returned
Prisms in his hands I saw!
Then stoically out from Rohan’s mouth
“Those boys won’t bother you any more.”

Now my social services brain would like to think
Some reasoning Rohan did do
And not lay into those boys like a Tiger
Making them black and blue

The bottom line is how deeply he felt
How much he did truly feel
About someone who always praised his worth
Knowing my accolades were honest and real

An addendum to this glorious story
I’ll proudly share now with you
Years later Rohan came back to say
“I have a favor that I hope you can do”

Sure tell me how I can help you Rohan
What kindness can I now do
"Well I’m applying to be a security guard
And a recommendation I need from you”

Without hesitation or a second thought
To my office I did swiftly fly
To write words of praise for Rohan
Hero when stolen prisms nearly made me cry

Well don’t you know he got that job
A security guard he would be
A confident self-assured man he’d become
Certainly not all due to me!

But I would like to think and ponder I still do
How important to praise talent and skill
Of children born uniquely special in life
And give praise I always will