I wish I'd had a Wendy

I learned the truth at seventeen

That the future is not certain, decisions not clean.

At seventeen I really could have done with Wendy.

I learned a truth that even passing exams with ease,

Would mean ‘Not going to Oxbridge? Next please.’

I wish I’d had a Wendy.

I learned the truth at nineteen

That the wrong university course might have been foreseen.

At nineteen I really needed a Wendy.

I found myself, uncomprehending, alone, likely to fail

A lecturer understood, arranged a transfer, I could safely bail.

I should have had a Wendy.

Wendy is the guide we all should have when still at the choosing stage

An oracle, a guru, a pointer to a choice

A real school career councillor who gives us options, a balance, a gauge

An independent voice.

Not head teachers obsessed about results and the number of A star passes

But oddly don’t mention all those who struggled daily in their classes.

Or parents who seek bragging rights about offers to a Redbrick college

That this may not be right for their child, they may never acknowledge

They all should all listen to Wendy.

I learned the truth late at fifty six

That dreams and aspirations can still be realistic.

At seventeen you need a Wendy.

Your future might be moulded around something you really want to be

With information, guidance, facts and a chance to foresee,

You should wish you had a Wendy.