Poem: Fighting Over the Bill

by Edgar Chan Sheung Chun 4H

This poem was written for the Budding Poets Competition 2023-2024. The theme was “heritage”. Students wrote poems about festivals, traditions, customs, cuisines and myths. Some students even wrote about western heritage as a way to challenge themselves.

Fighting Over the Bill

Dad and uncle are fighting over the bill,

Dad and uncle are fighting over the bill.

Is that really happening?

Yes, it makes me ill.

They’re shouting as loud as lions,

Or snarling as hard as tigers in the dark.

They’re pulling each other angrily as if Superman could kick a rubbish bin up to space.

Fire shot out of their mouths.

They say,

“Out of my way!”

“Accept my pay!”

“Go! Go!"

“No! No!”

I say, “Calm down! Calm down!”

They just don’t listen.

They argue for six hours,

Like a bunch of monkeys arguing for bananas.

The restaurant is nearly closed,

My dad said, “Please, brother. Let me pay. Please!”

My uncle said, “No way!

How many times have you paid?

The restaurant manager said, “We’re closing.

You have five minutes to decide.”

But I think it will take all night.

Dad said, “How about we settle it with

Rock Paper Scissors?”

Uncle’s hand turned into scissors.

Dad’s hand turned into stone.

Dad won and I’m so relieved.

The monkeys are eating bananas happily

and the rubbish bin is flowing up in the space peacefully.