--- M I C H A E L   M A G E E

certain schools, certain factories
drop books from desks on
the quarter hour, mock-regement solid-
arity, bell & response, caustic applause

arch textures in brick, time
in blocks, spending and building 
one square meal, one squared one
graph paper plate seating chart

race out of class, an asphalt
recess, holding court, rote digging
of moats, playing riotous conflict
"kill the man w/ the ball," "bombardment"

the girls room, the boys room
of one's own, groaning up to
desire, a genderous helping (2 sqs.)
curious outie, furious innie, linidinous, prim

to raise a hand - for & against -
multiples tabled, calculated rows
eraser monitor chalk dust hierocracy
molecular milk money, fair weather science

in btwn spaces, post-homeroom back-talk
unaccounted port authority, boiler
room, broom closet, gap in logic
h-e-double-hockeysticks, lockerroom syntax

combination lock gossip, black
market gob-stopper racket, brown paper book
cover story, frontier elbow rub
public bus catching, hallway pass