The Ballad Of Stephen Smith

One day in class teacher asks
Stephen a serious question
Because teacher had seen Stephen daydream
-ing throughout the whole lesson.

Now, teacher’s receiving no answer from Stephen
Although he’s now asking again
And Stephen just sighs and with faraway eyes
Stares off through the window and then

Just stares a bit more and teacher’s quite sure
Stephen’s having much more fun than him
And outside it is bright and sunny and light
The sort of day you should go for a swim.

Soon the class comes to an end and everywhere friends
Leave nattering with one another
But at Stephen’s desk Stephen is left
Because of what someone had learnt from their mother

Stephen Smith still stared and nobody dared
To nudge him or snap their fingers
Because if you scare a daydreamer there’s
A part of them scared off that lingers

Away in the sky, which is ever so high,
That they floated through before you woke ‘em
And the bump that they feel when they find out what’s real
Is enough, in some cases, to choke ‘em.

So Stephen was left, sat at his desk,
Dreaming of I don’t know what
And I believe, so I’m told, that although now he’s old
At the back of one classroom you’ll spot

The same Stephen Smith, his limbs are now stiff
And his beard is exceptionally white
He’s fed by a nurse who is snappish and terse
And his mum comes to visit at night.

2002 © A F Harrold