Skylark

In England “ert” is pronounced “art”
so I lived in “Barkshire” I lay on
my back on a sunny hill listening
to a skylark.  Our eighth-grade
teacher had us memorize Shelley’s
Skylark poem, the first verse, not
because she knew about “art” but
because the last line contains a
six syllable word, “unpremeditated,”
remarkable by any means!

2025 Jacqueline Jackson

This article appears in Young offenders in Illinois still serving life sentences.