Let me draw you a picture, he said;
Meaning: You are stupid.
This from someone who can barely scribble
A stick figure and whose knowledge
Of anatomy is crude, at best.
Let me put you in the picture, he said;
Meaning: Watch your back, I've been talking behind it.
He proceeded to draw all these circles,
Then shaded them in with cross-hatching.
Where they intersected, I found an old memory:
Let me describe this with a Venn diagram, he said;
Meaning: (The details are long forgotten.)
I just see the chalk dust in the yawn laden air;
Hear the lower sixth form playing cricket;
Glimpse the fine hairs on Sharon's chubby thighs,
Glistening in the end of term sunshine.
I learn maths through association
With mini-skirts and a bourgeoning crush
On a girl who could electrocute me
With a touch. I get lines for not paying attention.
Let me paint you a picture, he said;
Meaning: Wake up and take the hint, you loser.
He waved his hands as he spoke
And I realised I was being erased
As surely as that equation from a long ago blackboard.
