warm up

1. Mr. Spoon livedinavery dingy house.

2. He went on a perilous adventure to save the world.

3. Lucy kicked John in the face.

4. She loved her red rose garden

5. When she indiscretely Jumped offaclif, she died

6. She hid under the bed.

7. She never found love and died alone

8. “What?!” she abruptly inturupted.

Just a work of found art from a public school classroom, he replied.

Does it hint at the unsuspecting absurdity of education by way of warm-ups and worksheets, units and grades?

Coy and offhandedly poetic non sequitur, she quipped.

And the inherent funny life that goes on under a distracted teacher's nose; kids, teachers, and staff each in their own way hardly aware it's not words and paper, but youth and promise we're meant to deal with?

(Putting their heads down to sleep, talking about a fight, asking to go to the bathroom.)

And despite everything, so much of it's wasted. Like explaining a joke. Still.

It made me laugh.