He said when he grew up
he wanted to be a cartoon character.
His classmates guffawed,
some clutching their stomachs,
some rolling on the floor,
others banging the wall.
It was parents-teachers day.
All teachers looked at his parents
and all parents giggled.
The Principal covered his face,
trying to suppress his laughter.
His dad was passing mad,
his blood pressure ran sky high.
His mom was embarrassed,
thinking to herself if this was the baby
she almost died giving birth to.

And he grew up to become a dictator—
the worst his country had ever known.

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Papa Osmubal is a poet-artist from Macau, Southern China.