There is

nothing more fun

than

whirring the pencil sharpener

until Ms. Andrews yells

and my pencil

is a one-inch nub,

then ask for a pencil,

'cause how can I take

my test with this?

While writing essays,

I wad up at least

six sheets of notebook paper,

loud and crinkly,

each one with just one line:

"I think that friendship is..."

"I would like to change the world by..."

"My life's ambition is...."

"The person who inspires me most is...."

I think maybe, to some of these guys,

I am their best friend,

their only friend.

and the world changes

just by my existence in this room, in this desk.

The world spins in orbit like my heart around

the new girl's finger.

My life's ambition is to

taste all the flavors,

to sing all the songs,

to inspire someone in some way

before I reach the

moldy old age of eighteen.

I toss the paper into

the trash,

practicing my best layup

to the amusement of most

and the annoyance of a few.