'Animals' by S.F Wright

In the hallway

Before lunch period

It’s like

Animals

Have been released:

Yelling,

Screaming,

Shouting,

Banging,

Fighting.

The cafeteria’s

A few doors down.

Behind my desk,

I press my fingers

To my temples.

They’re like

Hyenas in heat,

Frenzied lab rodents,

Juvenile criminals

Let out

Of solitary.

You wait for it to end,

Until silence,

Another lunch period,

More noise,

Silence again.

Seventh and

Eighth periods

Are regular classes;

Then they are

Let out

Into

The

World.

All Rights. S.F Wright.

S.F. Wright lives and teaches in New Jersey. His work has appeared in Hobart, Linden Avenue Literary Journal, and Elm Leaves Journal, among other places. His short story collection, The English Teacher, is forthcoming from Cerasus Poetry, and his website is sfwrightwriter.com.