In the office, Mr. MacDougall does his finger push-ups
and stares at us. There are thirty-three kids in the room
and he opens the windows
so we can breathe.
He doesn’t say we’ll be suspended
for being silly or defiant. But he does say,
“Do you honestly think you can change the rules,
change the world,
by switching classes?”
Andrew says, “We didn’t think it was fair
to punish Mimi and Stacey for trying.”
Mr. MacDougall stares some more
and lifts some papers on his desk,
as if a script for his next lines is under them.
He says, “If you go back to your classes—
where you’re supposed to be—
I promise to think about this.
Agreed?”
We all look at one another,
and yesses grow slowly in the room.
Then the boys go to shop,
and the girls go to home ec.
Mr. MacDougall said he would think about it—
he promised.