The unfinished paper sits isolated
On my wooden desk
In my room
As I sit on my thin-cushioned chair
I see the room through a transparent red film
The screaming silence is deafening.
On my shoulder
Sit my only friends
They both look like me
Except one has a halo over its golden head
And the other has a red devil's suit on
The angel speaks up
“Go on,” it says
“You only have a couple problems to do.”
The other me, the devil smiles sweetly.
“Oh, you can finish it later,”
it says.
“You have plenty of time to do it.”
The angel stares deep into my eyes
“Finish it. It's the right thing to do.
You'll feel better about yourself.”
I sigh and pick up my pencil off the floor
The devil whispers sweet words that bubble off the tongue
“Ice cream
Chewy candy
Basketball
The trampoline
That chocolate bar you saved in your drawer in the kitchen
Sunshine
It's all downstairs
Not up here next to this
Horrible
Waste of time
Homework.”
The angel says,
“All of that will be better after you get this homework
Off your chest.”
I debate for a while
And take deep breaths to calm myself
The red film slowly dissolves
And I put my pencil to the
Dreaded paper
And begin