Let’s hope Stanley Battle never reads this. It’s a true story, with only the teachers name changed. I still don’t feel bad for punching him.

Stanley Battle is Probably a Criminal Now

Can Mrs. Rowland hear the boy sitting next to me?
We sit at short tables on short chairs made for our short bodies,
Writing with fat crayons and fat pencils made for our fat fingers,
Doing the busy work that kindergarteners do.

Mrs. Rowland tells us it is quiet time for the short table group,
I can stay quiet for a long time, I am a wise little owl,
I whisper for the paper, and glue, and things I need to stay busy,
I don’t shuffle my Punky Brewster shoes.

Mrs. Rowland is only looking at her reading group,
I wish I was on the blue rug with them,
I read good and I listen good,
She always smiles at me.

Mrs. Rowland is always telling Stanley Battle to settle down,
He is sitting next to me at the short table,
He spits when he talks, he is a drooly puppy,
My paper is getting sprinkled.

Stanley Battle won’t stop talking,
How come he doesn’t do what she said?
I am scared because I don’t want to get into trouble,
What if she thinks I am talking too?

I tell Stanley Battle to be quiet,
I don’t want her to tell me to settle down,
I don’t want her to look over at the short table and not smile,
I feel something hot bubbling up in my body,

Stanley Battle stands up to say more stuff,
I stand up and tell him to be quiet again,
He is saying so many things and spit gets on my face,
The bubbling feeling moves to my hands,

Stanley Battle is getting louder,
I don’t know what he is saying or who he is talking to,
I scrunch my fist, and it goes flying,
Landing on Stanley Battle’s tummy like when mommy lets me punch the pizza dough.

Mrs. Rowland looks up as Stanley Battle runs crying,
No one believes his story that Jenny P. punched him in the gut,
I am happy because she doesn’t tell me to settle down,
And Stanley Battle stops talking.

Thanks for reading!

OkayestJen in the car, in a parking lot – as per usual.