Middle school has a way of making everything feel a little awkward. Your locker won’t open, your schedule makes no sense, and somehow the cafeteria is the scariest place in the building.
But all of that is also pretty funny once you step back from it. That’s what these poems are for.
Below are five short, silly poems about the stuff most middle schoolers deal with every day: homework excuses, questionable lunches, brutal mornings, bad Wi-Fi, and gym class. Read them on your own, share them with a friend, or use them to make your teacher laugh. They’re short and quick to read. And if you’re in a joking mood after, our list of middle school jokes has plenty of groaners too.
Poem 1: The Dog Ate It (Allegedly)
I told my teacher, calm and slow,
“My homework’s gone, and here’s how I know:
My dog looked up with guilty eyes,
Then burped out a small, soggy surprise.”
She raised one brow and tapped her desk.
“A dog? That’s your excuse? Not the best.”
“But he’s so sneaky!” I said with a sigh.
“He even ate my backup, too. Don’t ask why.”
She asked me, “Do you even own a hound?”
I paused and looked all around.
“Well, no,” I said, “but my neighbor does,
And he’s been eyeing my notebook, just because.”
She smiled and said, “Nice try, my friend.
Bring it tomorrow, and we’ll call it the end.”
So tonight I’ll do it, line by line,
Since the dog, it turns out, is not mine.
Still hunting for an excuse that works? These funny homework quotes won’t save you, but they might make you feel better.
Poem 2: Mystery Meat and Other Lies
The lunch lady smiled and slapped down my tray.
“Today’s special is… well, it’s special today.”
It was brown, it was lumpy, it jiggled a bit,
And nobody knew what to call it. Not it.
My friend poked it once with the tip of his fork.
It poked him right back. (Okay, it didn’t, but still, it felt like it might.)
We sat there in silence, all staring it down,
Like a staring contest with a lump that was brown.
The pizza looked safe, but the crust was a brick.
The salad was wilted, a little bit sick.
The only thing normal was the milk, so I sipped,
Then noticed the date and nearly flipped.
So here’s what I learned from this Monday affair:
Pack a sandwich, my friend, and handle with care.
Because lunch is a gamble, and I’ve learned, in the end,
The mystery meat is no one’s friend.
Poem 3: Five More Minutes
My alarm went off at six fifteen.
I hit snooze like a pro, smooth and clean.
Five more minutes, I told my head,
And pulled the blanket back over my bed.
It rang again. I hit it twice.
My pillow whispered, “Stay. Be nice.”
I bargained with the clock and said,
“What if I just skip school instead?”
At seven ten, my mom walked in.
“You’ve got ten minutes. Let’s begin.”
I flew around like a sock-less ghost,
Lost my shoe and burned my toast.
I made the bus with a second to spare,
Shirt on backward, messy hair.
And now I’m here, wide awake,
Which I’ll regret by second break.
Poem 4: Buffering…
The Wi-Fi died at half past four,
Right when I had one video more.
I stared at the screen as the circle spun,
Like it had all the time in the world to run.
I held my phone up toward the light.
I walked to the window, left, then right.
I stood on a chair, which felt extreme,
But a single bar is a student’s dream.
My sister said, “Just restart the thing.”
I said, “I did. It didn’t bring
Anything back but a tiny sigh.”
She said, “Try a book.” I thought, “Nice try.”
Then Dad came home and just unplugged,
Counted to ten, and plugged it back.
And just like that, the bars were mine,
The video loaded. Everything’s fine.
Poem 5: Dodge This
Coach rolled out a bin of bright red balls
And blew the whistle. The chaos calls.
I picked my spot behind big Jake,
A human wall, for safety’s sake.
The first ball flew. I heard a thud.
Jake dropped like a sack of mud.
Now I stood alone out there,
Facing twelve balls and a twelve-kid glare.
I dodged left, I dodged right,
I spun around, a bit too tight.
Then smack! A ball found my face,
And I hit the floor with style and grace.
“You’re out!” yelled Coach. I said, “Okay.”
I crawled to the bench and stayed that way.
Turns out the safest place to be
Is sitting down, with a view, for free.
Write Your Own
Funny poems are easier to write than you think. Try these three tricks:
1. Pick a silly topic.
Start with something that annoyed or embarrassed you this week. Lost socks, a group chat gone wrong, a pencil that vanishes the second you need it. If it made you cringe, it’ll make someone laugh.
2. Rhyme the last words.
Don’t stress about the rest of the line. Pick two words that rhyme (like “toast” and “ghost”) and build the sentences around them. Saying it out loud helps you hear what works.
3. Exaggerate everything.
A slow bus becomes a bus that took three years. A tiny bruise becomes a battle wound. The bigger the exaggeration, the funnier the poem.
Write one, read it to a friend, and see if they laugh. If they do, it’s a keeper.
Stuck for ideas? Doodling while you think can shake a few loose, and these middle school doodles are an easy place to start.
Wrapping Up
And that’s the lineup: a dog that eats homework, lunch that fights back, a snooze button addiction, Wi-Fi that dies at the worst time, and a dodgeball game nobody asked for.
Middle school is a lot, but at least it gives you good material. And on the rougher days, these middle school affirmations are worth a read too.
Which poem was your favorite? Drop it in the comments, or share your own if you wrote one. I’d love to read it.
Hey, I’m Riya Jogi, a keen educator, guest lecturer and a graduate of marketing studies. With my passion for child development, I strive to make every word count. Developing strategies, ideas and easy ways of learning is what inspires me! I’m hoping to create a more inclusive and positive world for every learner and educators out there.