Mixed-Up School

BY X J KENNEDY

We have a crazy mixed-up school.
Our teacher Mrs. Cheetah
Makes us talk backwards. Nicer cat
You wouldn’t want to meet a.

To start the day we eat our lunch,
Then do some heavy dome-work.
The boys’ and girls’ rooms go to us,
The hamster marks our homework.

At recess time we race inside
To don our diving goggles,
Play pin-the-donkey-on-the-tail,
Ball-foot or ap-for-bobbles.

Old Cheetah with a chunk of chalk
Writes right across two blackbirds,
And when she says, “Go home!” we walk
The whole way barefoot backwards.
 
This poem is my odd way of saying affectionate farewell to our Junior English Class. The whimsical nature, and decidedly backwardness of the poem adequately encompasses much of my experience of analyzing ambiguous or confusing text. Yet there is an innocence, and child-like delight that threads into each line which I hope, is something that we can all have as we encounter new books, and new discussions- to forever be excited and inquisitive about words! 
Farewell my beloved C.Swaggers –> thank you for a wonderful year of English!
 
Cheers,
Celine