Fathers unless your sons
should become zebras, horses,
equids or other fine asses
Perhaps you should think again
And mothers exercise caution
Do not be guilty
of the same cardinal sin

Because your children have not been created
to become a carbon copy or replica of you
So let them run wild
and see what will eventually happen

To do otherwise would certainly be
a serious mistake
No two people are alike
And although you are of the same blood
It is similar but not identical to your own
Why not celebrate differences
The unicorn, the leprechaun and the blarney stone

And while everyone may not have the fortune
to have been born Irish,
In your case, God has given his blessings
to your kith and kin

So consider what has been said
and temper your expectations before you do
anything rash
There may still be time to change the road
that you are on

But take it slow
Mending the relationship
that you have with your children
will never come at once

Consider the pressure
that you have placed upon them
Trying to place a square peg
into a round hole never comes easy
and it is years of frustration
that they have been forced to endure

Sometimes it is better to cut your losses
give up, and find another way
Pray that your children have learned a painful lesson
For it is in their family that faith will be granted
And they will have the courage to look to the future
without fear

Every kid has his or her own innate capabilities
And being locked behind bars
is something that you should not wish
upon your greatest enemy
Imagine what it would be like to look upon animals
with different endowments, a giraffe, a monkey
and a hippo or two

Such a circumstance can lead to psychological scars
But now there is nothing much that you can do
But if there is any consolation
it might be helpful to learn that many children are resilient
And although this will never make up
for what you have done
be hopeful that time will heal the wounds

Not everyone can aspire to be a lion, a dolphin
or a famous thoroughbred
Why not be happy with an anteater, an aardvark,
a marsupial, a manatee or a rhino instead?

And lastly there might be certain times
when children find that there is significant life
far beyond the zoo
If they decide to travel far do not look at it
as a cause for great concern
Rather let them explore the jungle
keep your fingers crossed and pray
that they have the will to learn

In this special environment they can test their skills
find their mate, be with their own,
and ultimately cultivate
their own special destiny and fate