You have to learn
So many rules
Like:
Not shouting
And
No pushing in queues
And Not Running
Even when
You’re bursting for the loo.
When you start school
You’re not allowed to jump up and say
‘The Battle of Hastings!’
Straightaway.
You have to sit on your seat
And put up your hand
And wave
Even though it’s easy peasy
Like nine times three,
And you know the answer so much
It wants to explode
From your hair
From your skin
From EVERYTHING.
But you just have to wait for Miss,
Or Sir,
To choose.
And sometimes Miss picks her favourite
(Which is quite bad
Because you had your hand up first)
And sometimes Sir goes
Completely mad
And
He’ll pick someone who
Hasn’t Got A Clue!
Who wasn’t even listening.
Well the first time it happens to you
You are so excited
You’ve got two hands up
And you are stretching them out of their sockets
Up to the ceiling
And you’re going
‘Please Sir!
Me Sir!’
Because the answer
is like a fire
Roaring
Inside your head
And there are sparks and steam shooting from your fingertips!
You say ‘The Battle of Hastings’.
Straightaway.
And the whole class
Starts giggling
And Sir smiles too
Because…
Because
By mistake
You called him
‘Dad!’
Jonathan Shipton
17 June 2003