Overslept
From the book The Elephant Repairman
I overslept. I woke up late.
I had to rush. I couldn’t wait.
I grabbed my clothes. I threw them on.
And, in an instant, I was gone.
I ran to school. When I got there,
my friends and classmates stopped to stare.
I looked a mess, without a doubt.
I had my coat on inside out.
It seems I wore my sister’s shirt.
My trouser legs were caked with dirt.
One shoe was green. The other, red,
and underwear was on my head.
I thought that everyone would frown
and call me names and put me down.
But then, instead of what I feared,
my friends applauded, whooped, and cheered.
It turns out people think it’s cool
when you’re the worst-dressed kid in school.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 2
Topics: Poems about Friends and Family, School Poems
Poetic Techniques: Imagery, Narrative Poems, Superlatives
From the book The Elephant Repairman
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