Itch in my Hsu

by James Mar

 

There’s an itch in my shoe!  It’s driving me mad!

I’d scratch it away, but that could look bad.

 

My name is Sandy Hsu and I’m so unlucky,

There’s an itch in my shoe and it feels real yucky!

 

I know sand gets in my shoes all recess long,

But this shouldn’t happen.  It’s totally wrong!

 

If I take off my shoe, my classmates will stare.

The others will tease me by gasping for air!

 

It’s not right, my feet are really clean!

I know they’d do it just to be mean.

 

Maybe if I wait, my itch will go away.

How much longer could it possibly stay?

 

I grind my heel and wiggle my toes,

But still it persists and even grows!

 

It’s just not my day, life’s so unfair.

Here I sit, being tortured in my chair!

 

How can I concentrate when it pesters me so?

It’s like holding a sneeze before letting it go. 

 

Maybe if I reach down for a scratch,

This itch will finally meet its match. 

 

Oh drat!  My plan isn’t working.

Won’t this itch ever stop lurking?

 

I rub my shoe on the classroom floor,

Yikes!  Now my foot tickles even more!

 

At that point, I had to start kicking,

But that cruel itch just kept on ticking.

 

“Ow!  Stop it!” my classmate sneered back.

“Sorry!” I whispered. “Didn’t mean to, Jack.”

 

The itching was so intense I almost cried.

I couldn’t stop it no matter how I tried.

 

By then my squirming caught my teacher’s eye.

She saw my leg shaking and wondered why.

 

“Miss Sandy Hsu,

What’s wrong with you?”

 

Oh no!  Could it be my teacher knows? 

As she came closer, my heartbeat rose. 

 

I chomped my pencil and started chewing.

“Sandy Hsu!  What on Earth are you doing?”

 

Hearing her question, I knew I was in trouble.

I had to think fast and respond on the double. 

 

“Mrs. Ito!  I need to go pee!!!”

The entire class laughed at my plea.

 

Mrs. Ito was also amused. 

“All right Sandy, you may be excused.”

 

I raced from my seat and ran down the hall.

Wah!!  I wish I had said nothing at all.

 

Why’d I have to say a thing like that?  Really!

Being embarrassed of an itch?  That’s silly!

 

I was about halfway down,

When I spun myself around. 

 

I marched back to class,

And made it back fast. 

 

Surprised by my swift return, everyone stared.

As I stood there I wasn’t the least bit scared.

 

Boldly I told them I didn’t need to go through,

“The truth is, all I had was an itch in my shoe.”

 

I took off my shoe and scratched in plain sight.

After that, everything became all right. 

 

It felt so good to scratch that mean itch away.

It was the greatest relief I’ve felt all day.