Hi all, as its a bit dreary outside I thought I’d post some warm and funny poems from my book A Classroom of Stars. I hope you enjoy reading them.
STAYCATION
‘We’re going to go on safari,’
Mum and Dad had decided.
‘Oh yes, yes let’s,’ all of us cried,
But then the excitement subsided.
***
‘Will the lions come into our tent?’
‘Will the elephants trample it down?’
‘Will snakes and spiders scare us at night?’
‘I’m not sure,’ said Dad, with a frown.
‘‘Will the monkeys steal our pants?’
‘Will the sun burn our heads bright red?’
‘Will a leopard drag all of us up in a tree?’
‘Right,’ cried Dad, ‘enough said.’
***
‘I think we’ll just go to the seaside,
We can swim and fish from the pier.’
We can eat fish and chips out of paper,
And I can enjoy a cold beer.’
***
‘What if the weather is windy?
What if we’re swept, out to sea
By a tidal wave, forty feet high?’
‘What?’ cried Dad, ‘goodness me.
***
Is there nowhere safe to go?
There seems to be nowhere at all.
Let’s put up a tent in the garden,
And leave our bags in the hall.’
_____________________________
CAMPING SONG
(make up a tune!)
We love camping
Even in the rain.
It’s raining, it’s pouring,
It’s bucketing again!
***
It’s leaking through the canvas,
It’s creeping round our toes,
It’s got inside my sleeping bag
And now it’s in my nose.
***
It’s raining, it’s pouring
But we don’t care,
‘cos we love camping
In the open air.
***
Sun’s out, sun’s out
Now we’ll have some fun.
Camping, camping,
Fun for everyone.
***
We like it when it’s night time,
Underneath the stars,
All around the campfire
Looking out for Mars!
***
Campfires and barbecues,
Sausages and beans,
Fresh air, adventure,
That’s what camping means!
We love camping,
Even in the rain.
It’s raining, it’s pouring,
It’s bucketing again!
________________________________
MY NAN AND TEA
When I think of my Nan
I think of tea,
That’s what my Nan
Meant to me.
***
The kettle boiling,
The teacups clink,
My nan humming
At the kitchen sink.
***
Early mornings,
When I stayed at her flat,
I’d hear the rattling
Of tea tray chat.
***
Then out of the kitchen
I’d hear her coming
With tea and biscuits
And her happy humming.
***
‘Morning my darling’
She’d say, with a hug.
She’d have a cup
And I’d have a mug.
***
A plateful of biscuits,
Our favourite, Rich Tea,
That’s how I remember
My Nan and me.
________________________________
A WOBBLY SUCCESS STORY (for Luci)
Dad says: ‘this is how you do it,
Just push, pedal, glide.’
But it’s not that easy
learning to ride
***
a two wheeled wobbly monster,
with a mind of its own.
Push, pedal, wobble, wobble,
crash down on the stone.
***
‘Come on,’ Dad says, ‘try again,
just believe you can.’
‘I’m trying Dad, but falling off
wasn’t in my plan!’
***
‘Hold on to me Dad, Daad,
please don’t let me go!’
‘Okay, I’m holding the saddle,
Now push, pedal, GO!’
***
‘I can’t do it, I can’t do it,
DAAAD where are you…?
Oh look, I’m doing it,
I’m riding my bike – WAHOO!’
______________________________
THE DANGERS OF DOING
HANDSTANDS AND CARTWHEELS
I tried to do a handstand but
the blood rushed to my head.
I kept collapsing on the floor
so, I did a cartwheel instead.
I rolled and rolled and rolled along
just like Vitruvian man,
the one Leonardo da Vinci drew;
just catch me if you can!
Head over heel and hand over hand
across the living room floor.
Rolling, whirling, head over heels
until I hit the door!
_________________________
(all illustrations by Anna Matthews (apart from the lion and the tent)