Fooling Around
The blank page blinks back at me
makes a face, sticks its tongue out
I watch it, nothing more happens
my head feels like oatmeal
and I think I need to go to the loo
I look around, turn my head carefully
so as not to be suspected of copying
the others are bent to it
Roger’s on his second page
Janet dots her I’s, scratches her cheek
crosses and recrosses her legs
I can see a tiny part of her knickers
Suddenly I’m off again
fold myself into a paper dart
tense, throw myself upwards
soar over them in a fine curve
like a ball flung at the sky
I sail around between the clouds
mess around with them a bit
say hello to some geese but
they just twangle at me
flapping away to Africa or somewhere
Back in class the bell rings gratefully
I jump down, grab my bag
my sandwich smells like cheese and tomato
everyone’s handing in their papers
their smug little pimple faced essays
I pick up my blank sheet
someone’s written on it!
Thank you God
I glance at it, it looks a bit dumb
but not too bad
scribble a title “Fooling around”
hand it in
oh boy, do I need that pee