Saya's Sneezing

A dry silence in
the classroom
may catch laugh
from her loud
sneeze – she
fears.

Boys’ attention
is sitting on her
elegance – a
violent sneeze
may damage
her chocolate
manners – she
muses.

Essays she, to
hold her breath
stagnant – her
right palm hides
her nose and
mouth – her
eyes become
wet – and a red
shade spreads
on her visage.

Saya could tame
her sneeze, yet
a suppressed
sound came out
as a firework
cracked in a pitcher.

But before a relief,
the second one
follows – all her
efforts are in vain –
and ends in an odd
clumsy sneeze,
startling the pin-
drop silence.

Everyone laughs,
when one shrinks.

First published in
The Literary Hatchet,
issue 14, US, and
then reprinted by
erbacce press,
Liverpool, UK.