Holidays are over for chalk
the desk and the pen and the rule
Holidays are over for lazy paper
Tomorrow is the first day of school
And so the chalk has one last night
the paper has one last chance
to rise up with the fountain pen
and in the moonlight dance
The chalk it whirls and writes great things
with lead and pen in the air
while papers fly like winged things
on winds that are not there
And all do dance with whirling glee
Sweet nonsense is their song
And the words they write shine in the night
but in the morning are gone
‘Cause holidays are over for chalk
the desk and the pen and the rule
Holidays are over for lazy paper
tomorrow is the first day of school
Now up from the hills and the mountain streams
the winds have one last chance
to pick up all the summer dreams
and let them quickly dance
the children whirl and write in sand
the dance goes on and on
while all the summer flags and waves
sing this little song –
O holidays are over for chalk
the desk and the pen and the rule
Vacations are over for lazy paper
Tomorrow is the first day of school.
© Robert Priest 2014