Class Assembly
Listen to the poem ...
On Friday, it was our class assembly,
I had the very first line.
I saw foreheads shine,
I looked at all the eyes on faces.
My shapeshifting words escaped me.
Coughs, phones, a cold draught swept across the stage,
Like a hushing finger, it closed my mouth firmly shut.
I felt lumps of coal in my belly.
Time didn’t move.
Neither did my lips.
Mummy looked right at me.
She blew me a kiss -
I couldn’t catch it…
Then, a blurry, jelly figure to my left, held my hand, and softly tapped my back.
He gave me the widest smile.
I felt it stretch from the top of my head to the tail of my spine.
I looked at my friend’s lifting face,
Then my line returned to me again!
‘Welcome to our class assembly!’ I exclaimed!
What happened next took me by surprise.
Everyone in the hall smiled!
I had the very first line.
I saw foreheads shine,
I looked at all the eyes on faces.
My shapeshifting words escaped me.
Coughs, phones, a cold draught swept across the stage,
Like a hushing finger, it closed my mouth firmly shut.
I felt lumps of coal in my belly.
Time didn’t move.
Neither did my lips.
Mummy looked right at me.
She blew me a kiss -
I couldn’t catch it…
Then, a blurry, jelly figure to my left, held my hand, and softly tapped my back.
He gave me the widest smile.
I felt it stretch from the top of my head to the tail of my spine.
I looked at my friend’s lifting face,
Then my line returned to me again!
‘Welcome to our class assembly!’ I exclaimed!
What happened next took me by surprise.
Everyone in the hall smiled!
This poem is copyright (©) Carmella de Keyser 2026
About the Writer
Carmella de Keyser
Carmella de Keyser is a prize-winning British poet, known for explorations of identity and heritage. Founder of the Harlow Circle of Poetry Stanza, judge for the Harlow Poetry Open, she has five books published or forthcoming, from Hedgehog Press, Alien Buddha Press, Parlyaree Press and the Seventh Quarry Press.
