I can remember diving into the book
and then everything went blank,

hours later because I'm a slow reader
the torch batteries failed,
anyway
the day was tramping through the curtains
and I got up for school.

Running along the banks of the canal
thinking it'd be fatal if I fell,
I dropped into the classroom
and imagined it a ballroom,
but
it turned into a battleground

round after round of tedium
then a medium sized lunch
and back again.

I have another book I took from the library,
it's begging me to read it
which I will do
when I get some more batteries.