Ari Mooshyar

 In 2012 I was an ELL teacher for 5th and 6th grade, and in my class was a boy who's name was very similar to "Ari Mooshyar" but for privacy's sake we'll use this name.

The 6th graders got to go on a camping trip out in the desert, and the 2nd night we had a big campfire and told ghost stories. I don't know what came over me, but this poem just kinda wrote itself. I think it took me all of 20 minutes to write. Before I show you the poem, let me explain a little about Ari.

He was just a really lovely Iranian kid, and he really hated reading and he loved playing games and sports. That's basically it.

Also, Mr. Mayo is me, and the other students at the end are students I had.

Here's the poem:

Last year here at this very spot

Was a group of 6th graders just like you.

Something terrible happened to one of them,

So listen closely and learn, for this story is true.

 

The 6th graders showed up late Tuesday night.

Their tents were warm, and they went right to sleep.

But one little boy heard noises that night.

He heard whispers and whinings in the darkness so deep.

 

He knew he should stay in his tent. He must.

But he thought it was fine. He wouldn’t go far.

He crept out of bed and then heard his name. He stopped.

Then he heard it again: "Ari Mooshyar."

"Ari....." it said. But what was that it?

He wanted to know so he wandered about.

He thought that perhaps he'd found a new playmate.

"Play? Time to play?" He had to find out.

(Talking part) Now, you see campers, Ari's one weakness, his one fatal flaw, was that more than anything in the world - more than studying, or exploring, or learning new things; more than TV, candy, sleep, heat, comfort, water, juice...even more than Iranian food - Ari, sweet, kind, innocent little Ari, wanted only.....to PLAY!!!

But I digress.

Ari knew in the back of his mind

He knew that he should stay in his bed.

"Read a book. Go to sleep. No talking, no playing!"

Well, that's what his teacher, Mr. Mayonnaise, had said.

(talking part) Campers, if there's one thing you must understand about Mr. Mayo, it's that he really only had Ari's best interests in mind. He just wanted Ari to learn, and grow, and be the best little reader he could be. Because, as we all know, reading is super important. It's more important than TV, candy, sleep, heat, comfort, water, juice....even Iranian food. Well, maybe not Iranian food, but you get the idea.

Kind-hearted, wise, intelligent, clever, well-rounded, athletic, robust, slightly balding Mr. Mayo wanted only 2 things: for Ari to listen to him, and for Ari to love reading. 

Digression complete.

And now, poor Ari, stumbling in the sand, 

looking for someone or something to play with, 

found a deep cave, right past that hill. 

Inside? A ghost witch, with the voice of a sith.

"Play," it said. "It is your destiny."

Ari stepped in past the shriveled old witch.

And guess what he found! Every boy's dream:

A perfect replica of Manchester United's pitch.

Ari played long until morning came.

He never thought once of Mr. Mayo's wise words.

"Would you go home?" the ghost witch said.

"No, I want to play," Ari said. "Do you have any Nerds?" (note: Ari loved the candy Nerds)

One day, and then one more day passed.

And next, and next, and next, and then next.

Soon the ghost witch died and Ari finally stopped playing.

But when he tried to leave, he found a curious text.

Ari picked up the book. It was large, old, and black.

He turned the first page.....and then threw the book away.

"I don't like reading," he said, and then left.

He went back to the ghost's field, and played and played and played.

Ari never saw his mom, dad, brother, or Mr. Mayo again.

For in that black book was the secret way out.

But Ari hated sitting and looking at words,

So he's still stuck on that field, playing, no doubt.

So listen, dear camper, and learn the dark truth

Of a boy who didn't listen, or learn to love reading.

For this may happen to you one day soon,

Especially if your name is Momoka, Sultan, Lex, or Khalid.


Whenever I come across this poem in my files it always makes me laugh. I'm not sure if anyone else saw the genius in it, as a lot of the references were in there for me and my students, but it really was one of the times in my life where I just had a very strong urge to write something and it just kinda exploded out of me, almost as if I was simply the messenger.

Also, I think it was on or near April 1, so some of the teachers played a little joke on the kids and made up bogus "fun" activities that we spent 20 minutes doing: