Snowball Fight

Sitting in class on a snowy day

The students look restless and cold

Tired and bored

From a long, monotonous week

Suddenly I cast down my book

And loudly pronounce

To disperse immediately

And to gather back together

Out beneath the flagpole

The students' eyes open wide in disbelief

And begin chattering to one another

As I march out of class

The students slowly follow

Unsure of what they are supposed to do

We reform outside in a big circle

In a foot of snow

The snow falling like fluff balls

I instruct them loudly

To hold our hands together

And start to turn in a clockwise direction

The snow packing beneath our feet

We run faster and faster

Until someone slides and stumbles and slides

I pick up a mushy handful of snow

Pack it in my hands

And pitch it at the person closest to me

A chain reaction ensues

That lasts for at least an hour

I get hit in the head several times

And with frozen hands and feet

And clothes and hair drenched

We conclude our lesson at the sound of the bell

Having learned not one new word or a jot of English

An old Chinese teacher walks by us

Very unamused by our spectacle

We laugh in simple joy

As we return to change our clothes

And begin another class

It was the only significant snowfall

Of the entire school year