This will be my last entry for a project I have worked on over the past couple weeks—a friendly competition in the offices of Covenant Eyes. Most of the poetry on this site is not work related, but this one is. It is written in the form of an Elizabethan (Shakespearian) sonnet and is parodic of a wonderful children’s book series popularized in the 1930’s: Fun with Dick and Jane.

Seriously, the plight of Dick and Jane in this sonnet is far too common in our culture:

According to the third Youth Internet Safety Survey, published in 2010, the ages when youth were unwillingly exposed to nudity online were: 10-12: 15%, 13-15: 23%, and 16-17: 28% (Pornography Statistics).

Select this link for a free Covenant Eyes e-book with comprehensive porn stats.

Feel free to share this sonnet on any social media. Please use #safeguardingkids when you share.    

See Dick and Jane Browse with Covenant Eyes

Let’s look while Dick and Jane discover games.

The Internet makes learning so much fun.

And see how Jane can hack the usernames.

Now Jane is watching Dick do something dumb.

He’s watching porn and Jane is quite surprised.

She can’t decide to scream or turn and run,

For Dick is so transfixed and mesmerized.

And kids’ despoiled minds become quite numb.

So Dick and Jane were full of crazy fears,

When Mommy saw, the kids tried telling fibs.

Then truth came out and eyes welled up with tears.

But soon they found a way to guard their kids.

A company records all sites we see,

Blocks porn and prompts real honesty.

—Donald Lindsey

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1 September 2014