Lessons

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In class. Me, Goat Baby, Poetry Kitty and Pigtopus. With Unicorn Mermaid Ninja hovering above — intimidating bullies. To look at any of us, those bullies wouldn’t dare think of.

(Note to self: I need to give UMN a shorter name)

The teacher asks for our homework, which I forgot to do ’cause I was busy playing Cat’s Cradle and looking out the window with you-know-who.

I told her, “Teacher! I can do the assignment now, if you show me how.”

“I showed you yesterday. We spent the whole day.”

“Is that so? I might have been writing a poem. Like this one… Ms. Nofun. I can’t remember yesterday. All my troubles seemed so far away. Suffering from mental decay. Can we forget assignments and go outside to play? Someone said, ‘Out in nature is a-okay’; they did a survey.”

The class broke out in laughs.

“Quiet, everyone!” Ms. Nofun began, “Sam, what did I tell you about writing poems in class? If you don’t pay attention, you will not pass.”

“I can read and do basic math. If I add all the students, plus you and multiply by two, I get nothing new. That’s what you’re teaching me to do.”

“Go to the principal’s office. You can complete the exercise there.”

I packed up my notebook, pencils and pens. “Yes, Ms. Nofun, I swear. Since it’s homework, I’ll be sure to not do it there.”