Punished More Severely Than Most Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

When I landed in the Teacher’s Center
Isaac Edmunds began ranting,
“Rat stole my lunch
know who it was
wanted to take a make up exam
without a note
from home
wouldn’t let him.”
Belle laughed, ‘Got back at you, didn’t he? ”
“What now? ” Isaac asked sadly.
“Buy yourself lunch.”
“When the cops catch him
they gotta chop off his hands.”
I laughed, “A bit extreme
buy lunch like Belle said.”
“I like my own lunch.”
“Not today.”
“I like my own lunch.”
“Not today, ” I repeated
staring as Isaac
well,
the man wore the same
faded white shirt
all term
same with the brown suit
brown shoes too
didn’t like change
I could understand
the emotion
the sheer terror
of that slight shift
in existence
which would tilt him
into chaos.