An examination board has instructed schools 'to destroy the clean copies of the anthologies' that contain Carol Ann Duffy's poem Education for Leisure. I hope teachers and school librarians will pay no attention to the board, the AQA, and that every child of spirit will seek out the poem. Here it is:
Education for Leisure
Today I am going to kill something. Anything.
I have had enough of being ignored and today
I am going to play God. It is an ordinary day,
a sort of grey with boredom stirring in the streets
I squash a fly against the window with my thumb.
We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in
another language and now the fly is in another language.
I breathe out talent on the glass to write my name.
I am a genius. I could be anything at all, with half
the chance. But today I am going to change the world.
Something's world. The cat avoids me. The cat
knows I am a genius, and has hidden itself.
I pour the goldfish down the bog. I pull the chain.
I see that it is good. The budgie is panicking.
Once a fortnight, I walk the two miles into town
For signing on. They don't appreciate my autograph.
There is nothing left to kill. I dial the radio
and tell the man he's talking to a superstar.
He cuts me off. I get our bread-knife and go out.
The pavements glitter suddenly. I touch your arm.
Carol Ann Duffy
The AQA's instruction, in case you think I made this up, is here: http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/pdf/AQA-3702-3712-W-REMOVED-POEM-08.PDF
