As Her Teacher Would Do… Poem by Margaret Alice

Covered my notebooks in pretty paper today,
self-adhesive plastic, while Nici jeered at me,
she is the local celebrity regarding plastic
coverings, my first attempt was rejected with
a school mam voice, pointing out the bubbles
and other shortcomings, I refuse to imitate the
pedagogic fraternity like this, that superior and
modulated voice pointing out inappropriate be-
haviour – I prefer to treat my kids differently

Martin thinks it dangerous not to insist on more
respect and discipline; but if they should feel
about me as I felt about my superiors when I
was small, I won’t feel happy at all – a child
should have freedom for development and
teaching me about love; seeing my blustering
Nici undertook to practice being nasty on MXit,
the local chatroom, though I enjoyed her goading
very much, by book four my work was good

Even though she still commented on protruding
edges – just as her teacher would do…