The teacher performed an experiment
she probably shouldn’t have tried.
Some chemicals flashed and exploded.
She ended up frazzled and fried.

Her eyebrows were sizzling and smoking.
Her clothing was covered with soot.
She looked like a cartoon coyote
whose cannon had just gone kaput.

But something astonishing happened
as soon as her test went awry.
The teacher was caught by the shock wave,
and so was her hamster nearby.

The universe inside the blast zone
was literally rearranged,
affecting the teacher and hamster,
and somehow their brains were exchanged.

The hamster climbed up near the blackboard
and handed out homework galore.
The teacher, by contrast, was squeaking
and crawling around on the floor.

The principal quickly came running
the instant he learned of the news.
The hamster said, “Welcome. Please join us.”
Our teacher was sniffing his shoes.

I’m sorry to say our poor teacher
now sits in a cage eating grass.
The principal made her our pet,
and the hamster’s in charge of the class.