Can you help
pick some flowers
for the children and
bury a blackbird.
There's a dead rat outside
can you hurry
they are starting to poke
its eyes out with pencils.
Can you fix the door
it's got a dent in it
there's blood on the carpet
and a pile of sick next door
they are screaming as
they've just seen
what he had for breakfast this morning.
There's a pair of furry bunny ears down the toilet.
The window is cracked and
the toilets are flooded
someone stuck toilet paper and
blocked up the sink.
The newly planted trees
have been stripped bare
the leaves are in a circle of stones
baking in the sun with mud pies.
Are you able to rescue a pair of scissors out of the tree before it takes someone's eye out.
He's lost a brand new shoe on the roof today
wait until his Mother finds out
she won't be happy.
by Avie Williams
This is a more unusual post in that you may not have heard of this poet, but we don't always have to read the work of those "great poets" who have been showered with accolades and anthologised all over the place.
This is a poem for the everyday, but none the less marvellous for that. This was brought to my attention by a poetry-loving friend.
Avie Williams works as the caretaker at Island Bay School in the southern seaside suburb of Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand.
More of his work can be found at his blog here:
http://aviescribblings.blogspot.co.nz/
This is an unusual poem and quite a tough one until one realises the topic. Certainly gives a new insight into school care taking. Thanks Andrew for posting and look forward to seeing more of Avie's work,
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