The Dog Ate My Homework

By Patrick Kennedy

A collection of poems focusing on spirituality, relationships, and mental health.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tablo Publishing
• Release date: Mar 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781925880922

Book preview

The Dog Ate My Homework

I knew today was going to be a bad day when I discovered I had put my underpants on backwards - and inside out. Inside out is a drag but backwards is just plain uncomfortable. It felt funny as I sat down for breakfast and I went back to the bedroom to check after my cereal. My little brother Kyle came in to our bedroom when I was getting changed and fell over laughing when he saw what I was doing.

Don’t you tell mum, and specially don’t tell Megan – she’ll tell those drippy friends of hers and it’ll be all round school by play time. I glared at him, still rolling round on the floor.

What’ll you give me not to tell? Kyle always tried to get something out of you if he thought he had a chance.

If anybody finds out I’ll pound you – understand? I looked down at him. He stopped laughing and nodded.

Mum wants to know if you want some toast – she thought you were sick or something.

Yeah, I’ll go and finish breakfast – you walking to school?

I’m waiting for Brett and Wayne – if they’re here by the time you leave can we walk with you?

Uh, with Wayne - I dunno…

Most of my little brother’s friends were all right (for grade threes), but me and my friends called Wayne ‘Wayne the pain’. He was one of those kids who you just knew would always be a dick – full of himself and a real nuisance to teachers and older kids.

The thing was his older sister was OK and his mum was really nice. When you met his dad though you realised who Wayne took after. He ran his own business and was always trying to sell the grown ups something.

But the real reason I didn’t want to walk to school with my brother if Wayne was with him was because Wayne always acted like we were walking with him, not the other way around. Usually it would be obvious: the older kids in the group were in charge, keeping an eye on the traffic, making sure everybody crossed at the crossing and making sure the little kids didn’t mess about. Not according to Wayne: Wayne was like a smaller version of his dad – loud, overconfident and – a pain! As far as he was concerned he was allowed to walk to school on his own and do what he liked and he never took any notice of the older kids. So I wasn’t that keen on walking with my little brother if Wayne was in the group.

I might take my bike.

"Ohhh, but if you go on your own mum will make us walk with Megan and