fourthgrade humboldtian education: behind babylon’s redwood curtain

by Zev Levinson

Tellsn’t frumstrated pooms thissoloud

   moorning my distrated stoodents

Hendrix flimming skoolzaprizun

   his poomaday got pensilled anyway

While feetaway flames Hilala bescarfed Afghani

   intentontranslation she so lifted to be

   learning in such beatitudening world

   traking langwij from heart to laptop to page

I heard this class been storytold: Afghanistan!

No teengirls allowed in schools

  schools rooteenly smithereened and wotlife ahead

Talibanic and unamericanned stones into skulls

   herenow so bethroned by screens younglings flected

   from earthbeat conversation beaten by scoars and lykes

   games davices tiktoking converting attention

      as world tilts from Greta’s teacup

         who we I may be pre-sent?

            hears? heresy? here?

Photo of Zev Levinson

BIO: Zev Levinson is the author of Song of Six Rivers and The Sauntering.  He teaches with California Poets in the Schools, has taught at Humboldt State University and College of the Redwoods, is a Redwood Writing Project teacher-consultant, and a founder of the Lost Coast Writers Retreat.  See ZevLev.com