Art Exam

[Keith]

We'd been given the choices weeks before,
I was supposed to produce sketches,
developments of my ideas
but as usual, I had hit
the oh shit button that read
"only press on the morning of the exam".
Paper soaked in cereal
pencil sharpened with a bread knife.

The choices were simple
It came from outer space.
The contest.
From the ocean.

"OK its 1:30 you may begin"
I didn't have much to go on
but I set out to fill the sheet
in bold greens and brownish branches,
a nest nestled in with the rest,
bright yellow beaks ready and wide
for a wriggled grey returning worm,
carried by a not black female blackbird.

There were two teachers
with an external moderator
who kept looking at me and mumbling.
I thought it was about
my lack of preparation
as they reviewed
my carbon copied breakfast.

Can I have a word he said?
of course sir, what is it?
Well, it's about your composition,
it doesn't fit the stipulated criteria.
Oh shit, I said and started to look round.
There were gold and silver flying saucers,
fluorescent green football boots, 3D chess boards,
boats in full sail and even a giant squid
that seemed to reach out.

What were you thinking?
Well sir I was of the opinion
that when there are five fledglings
and one worm,
its quite a battle to see who gets fed
and most nights in our house
that's a contest.

Oh, was all he said,
so I climbed back inside
gave them scrawny necks
and little stubs for wings,
made sure one was thinner than the rest,
placed him at the edge of the nest.