Dear Children

Dear children,

 I hope you're okay.

 I hope that you're surviving

this mess that we've made.

 We made you a promise, 

17 promises to be precise,

 to fix the problems that history created 

To make your world that little bit more bright. 

We've promised you food in your belly 

and a roof over your head. 

You'd learn 

and you'd understand 

you would speak,

 And you'd be heard.

We promised you would work for both income and for joy, 

become partners with those under the water 

And support your friends on the soil.

These are just some of the pledges my parents made

To be met by me in 10 years time, 

Children, I can't promise that the world will be perfect by then,  

but I can promise you

 with all my heart

 that I will try.