From under the table the boy sees

his aunt’s high heels.

She’s talking to teacher. 

Whole number One

∙

Can't do that much with it.

He’d heard from the front 

"Dreaming again. 

Come over here!"

Number Two 

∙ ∙

Lies there, all flat.

Now he must crouch

without pencil or paper.

All you can do with a Two 

is cut it in half. 

Then there's 

 ∴

Three. Turns like a wheel

back to itself. A lot different

from Two. Auntie H., former teacher,

has been sent to request

that he skip the first grade. Four 

: :

Two Two's side-by-side or

one on another.

Hauling his satchel up stairs

to where second grade meets, 

: : .

he twice hops

two steps at a time,

then only one.