Parents always love to say,

Use your inside voice today,

Believing children have a choice,

To use a soft or louder voice.

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It’s true; I’m quiet when at school,

Respecting teachers and the rule,        

but I admit with great regret

When I’m at home, I do forget.

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I hit a nerve this afternoon.

I chased my brother through the room.

We may have screamed a little bit,

because my parents threw a fit.

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“Normal kids are loud,” I said.

Then they sent me straight to bed.  

I fell asleep and had a dream  

that Dad told me to yell and scream.  

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“Please be loud,” I heard Mom plead,

noise is what we always need.

You can earn an extra dollar,

every time you roar and holler.”

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“We don’t want a quiet child,

Please be unrestrained and wild.                                          

Invite your friends to run about,

hopefully, they’ll whoop and shout.          

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Shrieking sounds are so appealing,

Don’t hold back on any feeling.

We believe that proper speech,

Is more effective if you screech.”

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Play the music that we hate,                

until we hyperventilate.

Keep your volume uncontrolled.

We will not complain or scold.”

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All night, I was free to scream,

Knowing it was just a dream.

No one said, “Please keep it down!”

My parents never heard a sound.            

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From this day on, I’ll have a choice.

Awake, I’ll use my inside voice.

While dreaming, I’m another child,

and I can be too loud and wild.        

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© Susan Jakubowski