Aarohi Poems

They know enough who know how to learn. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher

Clicking on any of the titles will open the full poem. Clicking again will close the same. [collapsed title="What is Aarohi"] Some asked us
What is Aarohi?
​​A space to learn

Some asked us
What is your philosophy?
​​We said we had none

Some asked us
What are your methods?
​​A thousand and one

Some asked us
How do children learn?
​​All by themselves

In that case
What do you do?
With them we also learn

Some asked us
What's the curriculum?
​​Whatever is below the sun

Some asked us
How'll I know he's learning
​​Have trust in your son

Some asked us
What about the fees?
​Whatever community needs to run

Some believed in us
How can we join?
​​Come with expectations none
[/collapse] [collapsed title="Champa Chameli - poem by Aayush (youtube video)"] [/collapse] [collapsed title="I am Free - poem by Poorva"] I am a child
I go to one of the schools
Which i like be cause I am free
And there are only a few strict rules
It is not like the other schools
Be cause it is a life school
We call the teachers-aunty and sir- uncle
None aunty's nor uncle rule
And I am a really happy school.[/collapse] [collapsed title="Work together - poem by Chaitra"] Work together, Work together
Fix the tear on the leather
then you feel light as feather.
Work together, Work together
Work together to mend and fix
And do a lot of funny tricks.
Work together and do some help
and when you finish shout and yelp.

If you are tired have a snack
Or you could smack a snack
When you finish cheer and jump
Or end up with a big fat hump.
When you celebrate have some fun
or you can party by eating bun
And cheer out loud
And that’s because you finished.
The best of all you
WORKED TOGETHER HOORAY
[/collapse] [collapsed title="Lets pull this together"]

Get a rope, Get a bucket
its all there inside
So come all - lets pull this together
lets experiment, lets explore
didn't you say so?
didn't the skies tell us?

I have some ideas with me
and you have some with you
So come all - lets pull this together

many brains ticking
many ripples creating
rest we will figure out en route

I ain't in this for fun
Its the serious stuff that i like
Its there in the book i know

but today i just want to try
many times failing
many ways learning.

So come all - lets pull this together. [/collapse] [collapsed title="Free to Engage, Free to Withdraw"] There is no race, no competition, no struggle
There is really nothing to prove at all
I was just led to imagine such things
By those who had been led to believe it all

There is no trophy to be won
There are no trophies under the sun
There is no medal of honour to win
The honour I know comes from within

I am what I am, unique and wonderful
Precious and intriguing, a creation of life
Freely created, free to exist,
Free to engage, free to withdraw
Free to submit to norms around
Free to set them aside and walk
Free from norms of poetry as well
Free to rhyme and free to not!

I am free to grow or not grow
I am free to be fast or slow
I am free, I am responsible
for myself, for everything I sow

I am free
I am in aarohi
I don't need to be somebody
For I'm exploring meee!

Adapted from a poem by our friend Ramya Ranjanathan (Read more poems by her from her blog

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