Academic Mayhem
Observation
On the board, clear calculations,
class attentive, exams looming.
Now a forest of troubled hands,
digits turning somersaults,
handspringing out the window.
In the lab, blue copper sulphate,
turning black, bubbling boiling.
Bunsen burners in rebellion,
flames of bloodred vermilion.
On petri dishes crystals crack.
Bio lab assistant fights specimens.
Plant stems grow humongous,
green fingers reaching upwards.
Dead mice, trailing entrails,
scurry midst jars of monohydrate.
The shortsighted Physics Prof. peers,
as the compass rose points westward.
Lenses dance along sunlit shelves.
Pendulums swing manically,
driving tuning forks to insanity.
Conclusion
A doctorate in poltergeist studies
is needed to solve academic worries.
Feline Foibles
In the College library
a black cat is walking silently
over an irreplaceable open tome.
A muddy trail of paw marks
the only sign of his visit.
In the President’s office
an array of silver trophies
strives for supremacy on the mantlepiece.
The black cat strolls along,
his tail flicking.
Cups, trays, salvers,
suffer a noisy fall.
In the student common room,
ping pong balls lay like idle atoms
The black cat, with a playful tap,
rolls them slowly, one by one,
hidden, lost, inaccessible
under sofas, cupboards, chairs.
Innocently, the dusky feline
listens, ears flicking to and fro,
to screams from the library,
expletives from the President’s office,
and uproar from the common room.
His long whiskers twitch in delight
Before he settles for the night
Sarah Das Gupta is an English Teacher from Cambridge, UK who has also lived and taught in India and Tanzania. Her work has been published in many magazines and anthologies from over 15 countries, including: US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Germany, Croatia and Romania.