My first Story

My First Story
By Josh Vesper

I want to tell you about the first time when I wrote a story:
I was a small lad in third grade I believe,
The teacher begged me to write something,
But I hated writing and couldn’t conceive
Of doing the nonsense that the poor teacher
Yammered on and on about.
I know, I know, you think I’m a lout

Oh, she plotted and pleaded and begged
That I might
Be pulled, persuaded, or forced to write
something, anything at all
Even my parents soon tired of getting her call

She droned on until easter with that trivial stuff,
When finally I decided I’d had quite enough,
So with Pencil and paper
I put my mind to the test
And came up with a story
That was a page and a half long, at best

I said in my head
With some minor annoyance
I hope this shuts her up and she enjoys it
But after turning it in thinking
Now done am I with this
Somewhat awful occasion
I found that she liked it so much,
She had submitted it to
The North Carolina
Young Authors Association

Shocking me
And bringing her eye to a tear
And wouldn’t you know
It won their award that year

And in the end I found out
What I’d had fought against longest
Could make people cry
And was where my skills
Were strongest.