First Day Of Summer's Nightmare's The Worst

they walk on their stick legs awkwardly
but even so, I know those frowney faces
are coming after me

for having drawn them that way, day after day:
crunching off the chalk board, peeling off
like colorforms with no color

just the outline oh God now it's brining
the cucumber time and "Not It" I want to yell
or find the house key rapidly, but pell mell!

they're catching up with me.

if only they would talk but I didn't draw
bubbles over their heads like in the cartoons
in the lazy afternoons and now with

forwney faces creased in the summer suns
of the multiple planets also doodled in the margins,
kingdom come couldn't be more frightening

and now, there's red inked lightning, penciled
thunder clouds over the sidewalks
and where's the Mr. Tastee Ice Cream truck

with the little bell when you need it,
I could use a fudgesicle right about now- 

and I try to scream outloud a chalky scream and just then
plip plop! the raindrops come to life, too
the ones in evergreen ink I scratched in over their heads

a little absent mindedly and
the dream dissolves...
and I'm in bed with the covers over my head;

the mockingbirds singing in the June sunshine
in the yard and my sister says, what's wrong with you;
there's no school today, remember?

mary angela douglas 29 april 2016