“Atkinson! Pay attention!

You have the attention span of a gnat!”

I remember a teacher shouting 

When, in a school classroom I sat

 

“You'll amount to nothing, boy!

Is that really what you want to be?”

Well, nothing can be fascinating,  sir

Like a black hole, or the deep of a sea!

 

He flung a piece of chalk my way

But his aim dented his pride

It hit a girl sitting behind

But, he always was cock-eyed

 

He produced a ruler from a drawer 

Striking 5 across the palm of my hand

I should have let the chalk hit me, I thought 

Instead, I was punished for his ego's demands

 

He sauntered back to the front of the class

His authority fully restored 

Then, waffled about me being nothing 

As I sat there, nothing but bored.