Why I Don't Have My Homework

The following is one of many list poems that my students and I have devised:

WHY I DON’T HAVE MY HOMEWORK By Terrence McCall

My brother accidentally used it as paper for the birdcage.

The M15 bus treaded water on my book bag and it got soaked.

It fell into the frying pan when my mom was making pancakes this morning. I still have some of it in between my teeth.

My little sister used it for her art project. She got an A+.

I left it on the Amtrak train after spending the weekend with my grandma in Georgia.

A cop needed it as evidence in a case that was being followed by the FBI through a paper trail.

My mom accidentally wrote her grocery list on it. She took it with her, of course!

On my way to school this morning, I met a really cute girl. I gave her my number on the first piece of paper I reached. Unfortunately, it was my homework.

I got abducted by aliens, and they took my homework so they can study the human thought cycle.

We had to put it in the fireplace so we wouldn’t freeze to death.

I didn’t want to add any more work to my teacher’s workload.

There was a blackout in my house and I had to light it to find the fuse box.

I didn’t do it, because I didn’t want my classmates to look bad.