Jennifer Ray
MRS. GARLAND

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My back stiffened by slumped shoulders
As I tried to sink beneath the glare
Of that plain-Jane Medusa
That one look
Her mouth drawn straight at the corners
Pulled taut
Her next word ready to snap across my ears like a whip

I lowered my eyes
Hiding the desperation and fear
Wiping my sweaty palms against the scratchy uniform
My voice squeaked past my lips

"WRONG!"

She leapt on it, killing my answer
With that one word
Her power omnipotent

No longer patient with the class' time
She flew to the next girl
Liz with tears in her eyes
Had no clue
Simply lowered her head

Mrs. Garland unrelenting
Demanded an answer again from me

But I hid my eyes as I wished for the bell to ring
Knowing I wasn't the answer she was looking for.

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(c) 1999 Jennifer Ray. All rights reserved.

Appears in Schools of Verse: An Anthology of Poetry About School, Fall 1999.