Ralphy the Roly Poly Bug

 by Seth Olson

Ralphy the Roly Poly bug was the world’s biggest procrastinator

He would always put things off- saying “I’ll just do it later.”

One day in class a paper was assigned by their teacher Madame Butterfly

Not just any old paper- 25 pages in all- Oh my!

That night students studied extremely hard

While Ralphy and his cousins played zing-zap tag in his front yard.

The next day at school Madame Butterfly exclaimed “Tomorrow your papers are due!”

And giving Ralphy a look she said, “But I am sure that you are all almost through!”

One night left, still Ralphy did not worry

“I’ll go play sludge ball and then do my paper in a hurry.”

Eight runs to one-Ralphy had scored all eight!

So it was only fair that he go out to celebrate.

After two gravel milk shakes and a dandelion tart

He thought of his paper and figured it was time to depart.

When he got home and finally began to write

The sun was gone and had been replaced by the darkness of night.

His eyelids became heavy and began to droop

Before he knew he was asleep in a puddle of his own drool soup!

When Ralphy awoke the sun was up and the clock read eight-o-one.

“Oh no school starts in thirty minutes and my paper is still not done!”

“How am I going to tell to Madame Butterfly that I have-not finished my report?”

Ralphy cried, as he glanced at his paper that was 24 pages too short.

“I’ll pretend I am sick, I’ll tell her that I ate a bad egg!”

“Or that I fell down the steps and have broken my leg!”

“NO, NO that will not work, she will never believe me.”

“I will have to turn in what I have and just wait and see.”

“Now class please pass your papers to the front of the room.”

Handing forward his single sheet of paper Ralphy awaited his doom.

The price Ralphy paid for not turning in his paper that day

Was kept a secret, and even now what happened he will not say.

One thing is known, one thing for sure:

Ralphy the Roly Poly bug is a procrastinator no more!