Occasionally 
a student 
will ask 
can you 
whistle 
can you 
wink both eyes 
can you 
touch your nose 
with the tip 
of your tongue. 

These are 
high school 
students 
by the way 
interested 
in distraction 
delay, 
stupid human 
tricks to
postpone
the inevitable. 

One day 
this kid 
asked to attend 
his science
teacher’s pet
hamster’s burial. 

I wanted
to ask where  
the graveyard 
for class pets 
was located

but decided 
just to ask 
if it was 
meaningful 
to him and 
he said yes.