"Pay attention!"

The voice shouts from

Across the room.

With a start, he

Pushes his head up

And props himself up

On his elbows.

His sleeves slip down

And he yanks them back

Over his hands,

Over the older white

And fresher red

Lacerations on

His wrists.

He wants to explain

Why he always dozes off

In class.

He wants to explain

why he doesn't sleep at night,

what he does instead.

But then, more questions

Would follow.

Concerns would be voiced

By a concerned,

"Anonymous,"

Person.

Maybe even

An "anonymous friend."

Then the therapy would start again.

He can't deal with that, he has

Enough to put up with

As it is,

At home,

At school,

Always.

So, even his

Favorite teacher

For his favorite class

Stops the lesson,

Sighs,

And asks someone

To wake him up.

No sleeping through

The lesson.

He props himself

Up on

His elbows.