Spoon River Middle School: 32

Frank Falmouth 

Free Writing (Required Poem)

Down at the lake I saw a duck:

I wondered if it liked to

            muck around in the pond.

And at the store Mom bought a ham,

But I don’t really give a …

            Ma’am, I don’t like ham.

A miner works down in a pit—

I wonder where he takes a

            bit of a break?

A mason works with stones and bricks.

Our locker room is full of

            sticks for playing lacrosse.

My cousin wants to be a doc.

A bird that’s male is called a cock.  (That’s not dirty, Mr. Stratford.  You can look it up.)

For Halloween she was a witch.

The other days she’s just a

            rich girl with lots of money for costumes.

My dad said I must mow the grass.

A donkey’s also called an ass.  (Not dirty, either.)

And Mr. Stratford is the best:

He’ll see that this is all in jest.

(Not kidding.  You are the best, Mr. Stratford, and I know I won’t get in trouble for this because that’s not how you roll.  Is it?  I did not write any bad words, and you can’t say I did.)