The Spirit Copier
Fresh faced teachers
Fresh faced teachers
twinkling with Socratic fervour
toiled before a manually cranked
gleaming metal drum
methyl cloud, a heady scent
pages spat with blue inked letters
little halos round each imploring the gods' attention
a Gestetner duplication
A Personal Ream of A4 Paper
A cache,
a secreted ream locked in a drawer
waiting
its precious cargo
raided sheet by sheet
a week's lessons jigsawed and patchworked
a double sided Rosetta stone
guarded, defended, treasured
The Overhead Projector
a futuristic machine
a futuristic machine
a refulgent Dalek with a clunky fan
and a funky name
it scorched unwary hands
with gilled metal sides
that hacked out fiery dragon coughs
plastic sheets lay recumbent, gelled as one
in bright cardboard folders
selected and peeled year on year
a luminous lesson
beamed from box to screen.
"Dustless"
Coloured Chalk
in ostrich
plumed majesty,
it etched and
evanesced.
a mist of tiny particles
exploded forth
exploded forth
as the stick tapped and danced
on an upright slate hoisted on the wall.
it taunted the class as it formed
a stick figure tableau vivant
a stick figure tableau vivant
like a Fauvist masterpiece.
(David)
(David)
