Oh damn.
Little numbers on that wall, watching me again.
Look away, I say;
Look away, I scream--
Let me be and leave me be.
But they watch me still, relentless
And determined in their fight
To prove to me their greatness.
Look at us, they seem to chastise
Me, saying- “See how careful and calculated we are!
We let not pass a millionth of a moment;
Learn from us and live like us
And be great.”
I make a face.
As if
A bunch of stupid numbers on a wall
Can make me do anything-
I snort at the thought
And sit, poised
In perfect careless idleness.
“See?” - I call in victory
“You make not the slightest difference to me
You are, after all, just numbers on this wall
What can you ever do?”
They are not pleased- I can see it in their face
And in a burst of fury wave their arms
Round
And round
And round.
I suppress my smile- looks like
They need some anger management!
And just as I am about to voice
This clever retort, I am rudely cut off
By mother’s scream from downstairs,
“Late for class again!”
Shocked, I turn back to them-
Those angry little numbers on the wall-
But they are no longer angry;
They are smug, as they rest
Their pointy arms- oh!
Those silly numbers on the wall!
And I make a face.