Geography Lesson

From the front of the class
I can see the chalk smudges
on the back of her dress.
Two white hand prints

cross her parallel shoulders
and a longitudinal eraser mark
stares at me from her angular derriere.
That’s what I’m thinking, when she asks me

to recite the exact latitude
and longitude of Honolulu, Hawaii
the correct answer being
21° 6' 35" N / 157° 31' 51" W

I grin back and as far as I can tell
the equivalent of that
has absolutely nothing to do
with the location

of the chalk marks on her dress
and relatively everything to do with
last night’s homework assignment.
So I do what any red-blooded kid would do

I grab my crotch
make a face and
I ask permission
to use the restroom.