The Palisadian-Post has partnered with Paul Revere Charter Middle School to highlight a series of pieces from its 2022 Literary Anthology. The following piece, penned by Mr. Schwartz, originally appeared in the Poetry section of the anthology, released in spring, and has been reprinted here with permission.

‘Stuck’

It’s time to head to Town Hall as we all do every week
The routine so familiar that we barely had to speak
Sanitizer, show ID, then take your little white vial
And watch your peers dig up their nose while you stand single file
I took the Q-tip from the tester and why, I can’t explain
I shoved it up my nose too far, like nearly to my brain
I tried to pull the Q-tip out but oh, I cursed my luck
I’d shoved the Q-tip way too deep and now it was totally stuck
The testers tried to help me, like a mini tug-of-war
But two of them couldn’t pull it out, not three or even four
All Town Hall was puzzled and the testers’ looks were hostile
Who was this stupid kid whose Q-tip’s stuck inside his nostril
The teachers and the testers met and planned just how to conquer
The stubborn swab cemented oh so deep inside my honker
The plan I heard was crazy and I feared a greater hell
But I was desperate to clear my nose before the lunchtime bell
They’d get a rope and tie it super tightly to a truck
And tie the other end to my swab and get this thing unstuck
Off to the West Driveway and the ropes and knots were tied
A tester said now try and hold your nostril open wide
I stood still and heroic, like a brave and strong Avenger
Tires squealed, my swab didn’t flinch, and off came the poor truck’s fender
So now I guess poor me will be the laughingstock of the year
Then someone yelled, “Push it further in! It’ll come right out your ear!”
I shoved the Q-tip up my nose, impulsively and quick
And presto, it flew out of my ear, like a two-bit magic trick
May we all push through this COVID time, uncertainty and dread
Like I quickly pushed that stubborn wicked Q-tip through my head