ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE BLUES

ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE BLUES
(a novel in nine lines)

I started school in grade four

Neither I, nor my teacher
showed up for the first three

Bullies, gophers and garter snakes
were there from day one

There was a teeter-totter too
where, on the high end at recess
you could catch a window glimpse
of my hand out, leather strap descending