Mr. _____ Sucks In Dirt

His fingers are covered with blackboard chalk dust,

Which pass frequently over cratered nodules

Of flapping, undulating facial skin.

Who’s to say we need to listen to this or that from

Teacher/Joker with his pores gaping open,

Like mini orifices, which collect dust

Of grimy school yard trash heaps and classroom

Germs from our coughs and cafeteria belches?

He takes all this into his ruddy skin,

And spews it out in judgments upon our work;

He emits all this noxiousness out in words

Of no encouragement. His face of dust

Pans the room of would-be scholars, druggies,

Gas station attendants and practical nurses.

We know not what our pre-adult skin

Holds in store for our futures and families —

For our next day or the day after that —

Because the bible says we are all of dust

And to dust we shall return from our skin (but, they don’t teach this in high school).