By  Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi

 

From the mouth of a naughty little boy with the most admirable persuasive skills

From a beloved child whose mother is teaching a valuable lesson in consequences

 

From one who we all recognise in every innocent little face around us

 

Two simple words of the most profound wisdom

 

Calm Down

 

Yes, Mummy is fed up and angry

 

She has told him not to do it, whatever it is, over and over

 

Like most children his age

 

Words are meant for entry into the left ear and exit from the right

 

So Mummy decides to drive home her message with some permanence

 

Somewhere in the center of his brain before it finds the door out again

 

The game is up. Mummy is mad as hell, no surprise there, all mothers can relate

 

A child who has no fear of authority becomes an adult who is fearless in all the wrong ways

 

Something those struggling to parent in this day and age have to contend with

 

‘Old School’ Mummy is not about to be found wanting

 

Poor boy was afraid of getting the beating of his little life

 

I got mine when I was nine years old

 

Back in the day, there were no threats of being beaten

 

There was no room for negotiation

 

You just got a sound beating

 

With no notice, no theatrics, no videos, no opportunity to plead your case

 

If you were asked what you did wrong, you got beaten if you knew why

 

If you did not know what you did wrong, your beating was doubled

 

If you cried you got beaten, if you didn’t it was tripled

 

This is 2020, so the little chap was able to change the narrative with two words

 

Calm Down

 

We are all angry over one thing or the other

 

There is something that ails us, bothers us, makes us cry or keeps us awake at night

 

Now from the mouth of a terrified little boy we can see our way through

 

Calm down

 

Tomorrow will be better

 

For the hard of hearing who need to hear, here is an opportunity

 

Calm down

 

When you do, you will hear the rumblings of the bellies of the hungry

 

You will hear the groans of the sick who have no means of a cure

 

You will hear the painful cries of the unclad women wailing for justice

 

You might even hear the whimpers of the millions of children wandering the streets with no hope

 

Calm down

 

Two words that should flash like neon lights

 

For those living life on the fast lane on real and imaginary superhighways

 

My mansion is bigger than yours

 

My bag is more expensive than yours

 

My wedding cost more than hers

 

My wristwatch can buy a house

 

My car says I am not your mate

 

My jewelry is real not fake

 

Calm Down

 

Did you hear? What did he say? Say that again, You don’t mean it! Really? Where? When? How?

 

Calm down

 

Mind your own business

 

For those who are not content with their blessings

 

And are blind to the full cup so heavy it has to be held with both hands

 

Yet ignore words of restraint to chase after promises of a bigger cup

 

And now find themselves bereft of both cup and contents

 

Calm Down

 

Little Master ‘Calm Down’ also has a demonstration of ‘Calm Down’.

 

He lies down to show Mummy how she should ‘Calm Down’

 

Let us follow his example

 

We can Calm Down by lying down

 

We can Calm Down by laying down

 

We can hold our anger and sharp tongues

 

We can still our fingers from typing mischief

 

We can have a humble spirit that leads us to the realisation that it is not always about us

 

We can stop bearing false witness

 

We can desist from false prophecies and ignore false prophets

 

We can find stillness in helping others

 

We can shift our anger to purpose

 

Calm Down

 

Now the smart fellow is an Ambassador

 

He will go around preaching a message of peace and love

 

The Governor wants to meet him

 

The little Ambassador’s words have resonated with him

 

In this season when we are all fighting for our lives one way or the other

 

When we do not know who wakes up before dawn comes

 

Or who departs before sunset

 

Calm Down

 

Maybe I should have said that to my mother all those years ago

 

The days of the slippers, belts and custom-made sticks

 

Only problem is I would not have been here to write this!

 

Calm Down. Calm Down. Calm Down.

 

_Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Social Entrepreneur and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She is the First Lady of Ekiti State, and she can be reached at [email protected]_