BOLD CHILD

It was not a classroom, it was something to pick meat off, and the prey was us six years old

and Mrs Davies made a dunce cap especially, and had a bar of soap in her drawer to threaten us with

in case we swore, and she would intone BOLD CHILD, as she held her ruler, but she wouldnt go that far, oh no

but i wore the cap out of cardboard faced into the corner, and stand there through lunchtime too

because i didnt know a maths question, and dont you go to the toilet, dont you dare you BOLD CHILD

and i think it broke my heart.