VANDALS

Tommy Collins

Words are scribbled surreptitiously on desks for about as much respect as prison tattoos, and though some are better chosen

or better inked than others I read them all -

the Python humour, the stylised fucks,

the Dylan lyrics and darker thoughts.

The blues and blacks and reds against

the lack of colour in this dull place,

they strike some contrast and stand out.

Come and break bread at these desks,

if you dare. Share their quotes,

peruse the musings of these graffiti artists.

The teachers here won’t laugh at this cartoon, but you might ponder over strange and seemingly random lines,

maybe even worry at confessions

scrawled on the drab brown planks.

The kids return every week to bare desks,

after weekend wipes of Targ and elbow grease,

but they’re not rebels or trouble-makers.

They’re just the boys who write on desks

to curse the injustices of their teachers,

to share a joke about a heavy friend,

to borrow old art and create new art,

to calm the storms in their young heads.

Solemn, rarely seeking to stand out,

They are like me – they just want to write.

About Author

Tommy Collins is a teacher, poet, father and poetry editor from Limerick City, Ireland. He is developing a name for writing in Irish and English, with his bilingual collection “Ar An Leoithne/On The Breeze” published by Revival Press in April 2024.

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