The high school halls were wide and tall, The lockers locked up tight, And Leo felt about as big As half a paper mite. He wore a backpack twice his size, With straps pulled way too high, And tried to blend into the brick As older kids walked by. He dropped his tray in lunch's wake, He tripped upon the stair, And somehow got his hoodie sleeve Caught in a folding chair. But worst of all—by far the worst, Beyond the social dread— Was Mr. Sherd, whose heavy steps Filled Leo’s heart with dread. For Sherd had radar for the tardy, Sniffed out missing sheets, And tracked down every single kid Who skipped his homework feats. Just as the warning bell would ring, Old Sherd would round the bend, A felt pen behind his ear, A clipboard in his end! "Ah, Leo!" booming down the hall, " I see you’re breathing still! Where is that worksheet on the states? You know you missed the bill!" So Leo bolted left and right, Through gym and library stack, A fugitive of Algebra, With Sherd right on his track. He hid inside a science tub, He ducked behind a door, While Mr. Sherd stalked up and down The freshman-laden floor. He hasn’t learned much Spanish yet, Nor where the gym might be, But Leo’s got the track record Of one Olympic flee!
