Today
my students are taking a test
a hard test
on Of Mice and Men
fifty short answer questions
and an essay...
Analyze George and Lennie's relationship
healthy or unhealthy?
How does it change throughout the novel?
What does the novel say about unfulfilled dreams?
How does it reflect American life in the 1930s?
My essays are not easy.
But the poor kids, you see.
They are having a hard time concentrating.
Their Focus is gone
For outside the classroom window they can see
Mr. Lance's physics class.
Doing a physics experiment
of sorts
dropping pumpkins off the roof of the school.
Measuring...
velocity?
Force?
Who knows?
Every few minutes we hear a bang
a crash
a pumpkin dropping
a pumpkin splitting
kids cheering outside
Physics has never been such a blast!
My students are distracted
I see them sneaking peeks
out the window.
What is going on out there?
It sounds like fun.
They can't tear their eyes away.
The essays call for my students
"Finish me! Finish me!"
but the students have checked out
of the essay,
maybe never to return.
You see,
Life in the 1930s is not as interesting
to them
as pumpkins
And really
who could concentrate on a thesis statement
when just outside the window
kids are
throwing pumpkins
launching pumpkins
destorying pumpkins
smashing pumpkins
???
