Tomorrow

Exams! A planned fact-lottery!
Fevered brain the syllabus roams,
Indian History – total mystery,
Wrestling secrets from dusty tomes.

Aftermath of two sips of wine,
Banish all that I’ve learned by rote.
It’s ten to nine, the morning’s fine,
If I could find that sheaf of notes!

Frantic search, desperate scrabble,
Eyes roll and dart from here to there,
I scramble, book-tower of Babel
tips over, dust motes dance in air.

With cunning inborn to foxes,
Look underneath that bed of mine -
Cardboard boxes, smelly sockses,
Shiny tinfoil, a ball of twine

stare back in stoic carelessness.
Ma comes in and asks me, "What’s wrong?"
Shame-faced confess, "My room’s a mess,
Searching has taken far too long."

She steps inside, a gusty sigh,
Sure fingers reach under cushion -
Hand holds high, that hidden from eyes,
Thanks flow in joyous profusion.

Books on table, rug on the floor,
I shall not confusion borrow;
Things strewn no more, window to door,
I will clean my room. Tomorrow.


I was always a messy student, I don't know how often this has actually happened to me - times beyond count! I just remembered it and thought I'd share.
** Image ID #1283313 Unavailable **
Quatrains with abab rhyme and internal rhyme in line 3, tetrameter. 28 lines