Best Assignments Poems
Queen of Caterpillars was nearly finished assigning butterflies
She did not need a consensus, but she wanted them to be happy
They were tossed into the winds according to placements.
Scattered to the farthest curves of the globe in record numbers
This might be your prettiest batch yet, her mother told her.
Queen of Caterpillars had to stifle a laugh.
Her mother said this every single season.
And she was not wrong.
If you cannot build a fence, help with a section.
If you cannot build a wall, install the Northgate.
If you can't build a house, try painting the kitchen.
If you can't install a water line, turn on the faucet.
We need not worry about the things that we cannot do.
We are responsible for executing our God-given assignments.
011223PS
Inspired by Nehemiah 3
Tuesday lasses
we all have classes
get up and go
there’s no time to waste
join the flow
there’s no reason to wait
everyone’s hustling
coffee guzzling
bus shuttling
paper shuffling
syllabus assessing
apple-watch checking
there’s a fall-like feeling
making things more appealing
file off of the bus
and join the crush
trudging up science hill
thru the doors up the stairs
climbing in pairs,
in class, at last,
setup and relax.
I open my binder
and hand in the assignment
the guy beside me can’t find it.
and the TA moves on
the guy’s upset and I get it
he’s frantic and grim
I pretend I’m not watching him
as he ransacks his rucksack
too late, they’re taking roll
carelessness takes its toll
I have been incredibly unwelcomed at my new position.
As a guidance counselor at a grade school one day a week.
This was told to me yesterday by the other counselor…
You have bus duty first thing in the morning.
At nine-fifteen you can help deep clean the loos.
What about my counseling classes I ask?
You will probably have to cancel those, she tells me.
I put on my favorite pink walking shoes and begin following her.
Here is Lysol, gloves, and sponges, she says.
We want you to wipe down the playground hourly.
As you may have guessed by now, my teaching partner is a peach.
She has also signed me up to do five lunch duties.
They start at 10:30 and end at 2:45.
I stare at her, incredulous.
How many duties do you have?
None now, she smirks. I have you!
They say we’ll get a hurricane,
that they’re calling hurricane Lee.
Probably later this week,
and it’s a category 9 at least.
Some are saying prayers, but I say:
Why’s God sending it here?
Someone must be sinning a LOT.
Hey, don’t look at me - I’m not.
You’d think that would affect our classes,
that maybe we’d get hazzard passes,
for assignments that are due,
but nope, it isn’t true.
“I don’t want to hear excuses,”
my chem professor said,
“the only acceptable excuse is,
that you’re dead.”
(a series of micro vignettes)
Chella and I are reading our analysis assignments together because that’s how we link and build.
We read out loud too, because how else can you judge the flow?
When my phone, lying on the table, jiggled. The caller ID read, “Tommy’s girlfriend.”
Chella gave me a little look. “I never change anyone’s ID,” I confessed. “Neither do I.” Cellia agreed.
“She broke up with him years ago..”
I feel sorry for panhandlers, I don’t see them often but I saw one yesterday. Who carries cash any more (Noone)?
Along the same line, Chella and I are wired, it-girls - we’re noise cancelled. Were you talkin’ to us?
We’re hard to engage, not because we’ve got attitude - we just can’t hear you. It’s irritating when I have to tap-out of some stream to hear people.
Even if it’s the waiter from the bistro downstairs delivering their exemplary frozen-strawberry-smoothies and burgers.
Later, after the pool, we showered. As I was toweling my hair, I studied myself in the mirror.
“My skin is SO screwed up,” I moaned, “I need a ‘rescue spa’ facial.. Let’s go to New York (city)—I’m taking you there.”
“There’s a ‘Forever Young Spa’ on Beacon street.. about a mile from here,” Cellia offered.
“Ever been there?” I asked.
“No, but the ad says they have an AI-powered massage robot. I’m curious.”
“Ooo! Call ‘em up, see if it does happy-endings.” I laughed.
“We could get a home unit.” Cellia updogged.
“I think we’d need the industrial version,” I added, “that’s the sell.”
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Songs for this:
Nothing Can Stop Us by Saint Etienne
Goodbye by The Sundays
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Our cast:
Chella, A tall, lithe black girl, from Liberty City (Miami) Florida. She's a Harvard Master's candidate with a ‘Bachelor of Science in Global Affairs’ from Yale. She had it rough growing up - she was buying skin-care at Trader Joes! I'm showing her some things.
Your author, a simple trust-fund baby from Athens, Georgia and a Harvard Master's candidate with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale.
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Burgers = bacon cheeseburger w/tomato, sautéed onions, ketchup and fries - hold the mayo and mustard.
Maurie had been given worst assignments
But most had been easier than this one
They had saddled him with two sidekicks
Cats who hissed and spat at the moon.
The moon was not in the mood for it either.
He kept asking Maurie to take his leave.
But his task was to lull the moon to sleep.
He stayed, fighting off the annoying cats.
The mandolin is amazing for a minstrel.
It gave him the oomph he needed.
He remained calm, and the moon slept.
Also, the pesky cats. Mission accomplished.