Unpublished material

My parents have been cleaning out their basement, and they came across a large pile of school papers of mine from the first grade.  Apparently I had trouble being neat.  Teacher’s notes noted my handwriting wasn’t neat, my coloring wasn’t neat, and my cutting and pasting wasn’t neat.

First grade for me was the 1990-1991 school year, so I also came across a list of supplies my school was collecting for “Operation Desert Storm.”   Also, my  Weekly Reader  from September 21, 1990, shows me a full page photo of President Bush . . . visiting schoolchildren.  How dare he!!!  (The wonderful text explains, “He read to students, then told them, ‘If you want to be President, learn to read.’”  Low standards like that allowed his son to become president.)

Anyways, I found a few things I wrote in first grade.  They are masterpieces.  Here’s an untitled treasure dated Oct 22, 1990.  I will preserve the clever line breaks and idiosyncratic spacing, evidence of a young e.e. cummings at work.

I go trick or treating.

Iget candy.

Igo home.I eat my candy.

I carve a pumpkin.