Concerning the red headed girl perched on a wooden bench outside the principal’s office with a black eye
- after Norman Rockwell 1953 -
She waits with dirty palms, clutching
the polished hardwood bench.
Sleeves, once firmly rolled
up to the shoulders, crawl
down the length of her arm.
Hand-me-down socks
three sizes too big, sag
round her bony ankles.
Scuffed leather shoes
she never bothered to tie, dangle
pigeon-toed above the floor.
Deep in discussion
principal and parent
look down with reproachful eyes.
Their darts of disappointment fail
to find a mark.
Her grin fills the room
and her blackened trophy
continues to swell with winking pride,
testament to a victory
she’ll never forget.
