The Kid in Seat B1

The kid in seat B-1
Puts up her hand to ask for time-out
A rest break from the maths exam
A rest break she believes she’s entitled to
A rest break she cannot have

The kid in seat B-1
Is made of acne and attitude
Of defiance, peer pressure and Tik Tok trends
Craves attention but is afraid of being singled out
Spends hours anonymizing her hair and make-up

The kid in seat B-1
Is now a warrior for justice denied
Sulking saviour of the educationally oppressed
A lone revolutionary in a world that doesn’t understand her
Any more than she understands herself

She is Mothra in mascara
Crushing the school beneath her knock-off trainers
She is anger set firm with styling gel
Her bones as thin as knife blades
To cut through the slave bonds of Year Ten

The kid in seat B-1
Is just brave enough to be annoying
To swear and draw on walls
But not brave enough to simply walk out
And I begin to wonder how
Those boundaries were built.

 

July 2025

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