The hypocrisy of parenthood

They fuck you up, a Larkin quote,
The antics of your mum and dad.
He had it right, bang on the note,
The way we treat our kids is bad.

We tell them that it's good to share,
Then, greedily, we hoard our stuff.
We talk of tolerance and care;
Hide racist views as talking tough.

We show them how the birds and bees
Have sex but just to procreate;
No mention of the pleasure spree
A good sex-life can actuate.

Illiterate and blind to books
We teach that reading is a must.
We party on, draw dirty looks;
When they get drunk, we show disgust.

Be brave, we say, be tough, be strong;
If we're upset, our nerves are raw.
We teach them that to fight is wrong
Yet once again, we go to war.