1872
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, mathematician, logician and founder of analytic philosophy, was born
1900
Britain proclaims protectorate over kingdom of Tonga
1904
American Ion Perdicaris kidnapped in Morocco
1910
Passage of Earth through tail of Halleys Comet causes near-panic
1911
Pres/dictator Jos‚ Porfirio Diaz of Mexico term ends
1912
As beat Tigers 24-2, who use amateurs protesting Ty Cobbs suspension
We would be assigned arithmetic homework
In the evening I would watch TV or
Shoot my B B gun or
Ride my bike instead
The next morning
Mrs. Wressler would say to the class at ten-thirty:
Anybody who did not do their homework
Can stay in for recess and get it done
Out I would go
To play softball with the boys
Too guilt ridden to enjoy it much
Running out to recess with your homework not done?
Mrs. Wressler would gasp, later on
As the whole class recoiled in horror
What will your parents say?
They would be disappointed and heartbroken of course
I’d be punished and would buckle down
For a while
But pretty soon, I’d be back out there
On the playground again
Half a century later
I can still be discovered
Running out to recess
Less guilty by only the
Palest of shades
© 2010 Gair Linhart