Silence

and hands on heads,

no talking

whatsoever

and I do not

want to hear a

peep

out of you,

any of you,

till you learn some manners…

Our arms outstretched

having mastered the art

of class room sign language

by the time we were eight

and the deflection of the hammered down

metal measuring device

across the bare biting knuckles,

scrapped skin

bleeding as the monstrous

and over-zealous uncrowned ruler

struck again and again

and the headmaster would be lethal