By Judith Viorst


Will they let me go when I need to
go to the bathroom?


And what if I get lost on my way
back to class?


And what if all of the other kids are
a hundred, a thousand, a million
times smarter than I am?


And what if we have a spelling test,
or a reading test, or an. . . .
anything test, and I'm the only
person who doesn't pass?


And what if my teacher decides
that she doesn't like me?


And what if, all of a sudden,
a tooth gets loose?


And what if I can't find my lunch,
or I sit on my lunch, or I (oops!)
drop my lunch down someplace
like the toilet?


Will they just let me starve or will
somebody lend me a sandwich?
A cookie?  A cracker?  An apple?
Some juice?


And what if they day, "Do this,"
and I don't understand them?


And what if there's teams, and
nobody picks me to play?


And what if I took off my sneakers,
and also my socks, and also my
jeans, and my sweatshirt and T-shirt,


And started the first day of school
on the second day?