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Description
There is a boy curled up against the cabinets
while his classmates are standing in line,

the teacher is not here and a substitute
has taken over,
which has more meaning in a poem
than in real-life.

The students have left, and Matthew
is still balled up and silent,
answering only his knees when questioned

“What’s wrong?”

again and again ineffectually—

Then there’s a story about how
The world is hurt
when a classmate says something hurtful.

He looks me in the eyes and tells me
He doesn’t want to get anyone in trouble,
And I believe him.

After all, this is the boy who told me before
That he hiked in a place like Hawaii and
9 was cock-a-doodle-do, and 7, twelve and three.

But I know it’s going to happen whether
Someone wants it or not, why else
would he be in the fetal position on the ground?

And I know, I know that no matter
how many boys who answer to the names of saints
from a religion my mother stopped using with her maiden name
wish that it won't,
the world will keep on hurting.