The meddling bell rings for lunch as he
finishes organizing the Legos by their shapes and colors.
He burns daylight in the bathroom
As he wraps up the third washing of his hands.
The steady pulse of water calms him as it decontaminates his palms.
He checks to make sure his Superman lunch box is in its expected spot
peering at the coat hooks as he is thrown to the ground.
He’s different and bizarre to them.
The only thing on his mind being
the number of discrepancies among the pieces of floor tile
a lack of planning in the disorderly blues and yellows
that his head is crushed down against.
A clenched confidence strikes him
1.2.3.4 times never making it to 5 before another
interruption clutters up his life as his habits become
trapped under lock and key once again.

When he gets home he executes the fifth and final blow
that’d been kept in enslavement for the majority of the school day.
He has gotten out of control
surely more kids at school will find out he’s crazy.

He rests safely in his solacing bed
with his shoes sitting nicely in alphabetical order
his therapeutic feelings quickly vanish when he gets out of bed
one last time to make sure the stove’s off and the doors are truly locked.
And when he finally closes his eyes he is able to resist it and
break free.