ON A ROLL
Pens and pencils should be square
They're always rolling off somewhere
I start with several at my hand
but I can never understand
where they end up, not for good--
metal, plastic, even wood
They roll away once, twice, or thrice
They hide like pussycats or mice
Sometimes a yardstick will control
a recalcitrant slide or roll
but fortunately they don't spoil
like melted chocolate in foil.
Retrieved they are as good as old
It doesn't help at all to scold.
Barbara DuBois
Socorro, NM