Answers
A lone slightly-crushed blue M&M
rests on the classroom’s grey carpet
between rows of wooden chairs.
A student writes with her right hand
while inserting two fingers of her left
into her mouth, withdrawing pink gum.
Cheeks rest on fists. Fingertips scratch
stubble, tuck hair behind ears. Muscles
loudly suck mucus back into nostrils.
Knees bounce as hands move blue
pens left to right across lined paper.
Eyes glance at the clock. Students cough
into collars and elbows, adjust ponytails,
reverse black baseball caps, rotate wrists,
crack knuckles, search for answers
in the green magnolia boughs outside
the window, on the off-white ceiling tiles,
amongst leaves of grass on manicured lawns.
Nathanael O’Reilly is an Irish-Australian residing in Texas. His books include Preparations for Departure, Distance, Cult, Suburban Exile and Symptoms of Homesickness. His poetry has appeared in publications from twelve countries, including Antipodes, Cordite, Headstuff, Mascara, Skylight 47, Snorkel, Verity La and The Newcastle Poetry Prize Anthology 2017.