Deluxe Manual Hand-Crank Pencil Sharpener
by ARHuelsenbeck

every classroom had one in the cloak room
its base screwed into solid wood
a removable, emptiable reservoir for the pencil shavings
on one end a handle which turned
2 cylinders with sharp striations
that shaved the pencil point into a deadly dart
on the other end a round rotating plate
with openings to match any possible pencil diameter
select the one that perfectly matches your writing utensil

the industrious sound it made
when you turned the crank
the mechanical grinding of wood and graphite
the thrill of removing your pencil
and examining its newly-tapered tip

but don’t crank too long
or you’d be left with a pathetic stub