a black dot

a black dot
a jelly tot

a scum-nail
a jiggle-tail

a leg-kicker
a sitting slicker

a panting puffer
a fly-snuffer

a high hopper
a belly-flopper

a catalogue
to make me FROG

--Libby Houston

About the Teeth of Sharks

The thing about a shark is - teeth,
One row above, one row beneath.

Now take a close look. Do you find
It has another row behind?

Still closer - here, I'll hold your hat:
Has it a third row behind that?

Now look in and ... Look out! Oh me,
I'll never know now! Well, goodbye.

--John Ciardi

A Bridge

A bridge is a giant on hands and knees
Kneeling down to fill a gap
And let people cross it on his back.

A bridge is a giant of stone or steel
With a back so hard he doesn't feel
The prodding of sticks or hammering of heels.

A bridge is a giant who carries the road
And the lorries on it with heavy loads,
A giant who stays there night and day
And never gets up and goes away.

--Stanley Cook

A Cradle Song

Golden Slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake you when you rise.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

Care is heavy, therefore sleep you;
You are care, and care must keep you.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

--Thomas Dekker

A Green Prayer

Save me a clean strea, flowing
to unpolluted seas;

lend me the bare earth, growing
untamed flowers and trees.

May I share safe skies
when I wake, every day,

with birds and butterflies?
Grant me a space where I can play

with water, rocks, tress, and sand;
lend me forests, rivers, hills, and sea.

Keep me a place in this old land,
somewhere to grow, somewhere to be.

--Jane Whittle

Alas! Alas! for Miss Mackay!

Alas! Alas! for Miss Mackay!
Her knives and forks have run away;
And when the cups and spoons are going,
She's sure there is no way of knowing.

--Anon

A Path to the Moon

From my front door there's a path to the moon
that nobody seems to see
tho it's marked with stones & grass & trees
there's nobody sees it but me.

You walk straight ahead for ten trees or so
turn left at the robin's song
follow the sound of the west wind down
past where the deer drink from the pond.

You take a right turn as the river bends
then where the clouds touch the earth
close your left eye & count up to ten
while twirling for all that you're worth.

And if you keep walking right straight ahead
clambering over the clouds
saying your mother's & father's names
over & over out loud

you'll come to the place where moonlight's born
the place where the moonbeams hide
and visit all the crater sites
on the dark moon's secret side.

From my front door there's a path to the moon
that nobody seems to see
tho it's marked with stones & grass & trees
no one sees it but you & me.

--B. P. Nichol

As I Looked Out

As I looked out on Saturday last,
A fat little pig went hurrying past,
Over his shoulder he wore a shawl,
Although it didn't seem cold at all.
I waved at him, but he didn't see,
For he never so much as looked at me.
Once again, when the moon was high,
I saw the little pig hurrying by;
Back he came at a terrible pace,
The moonlight shone on his little pink face,
And he smiled with a smile that was quite content,
But I never knew where that little pig went.

--Anon

As I Was Going Out One Day

As I was going out one day
My head fell off and rolled away.
But when I saw that it was gone,
I picked it up and put it on.

And when I got into the street
A fellow cried: 'Look at your feet!'
I looked at them and sadly said:
'I've left them both asleep in bed!'

--Anon

As I was Going Up The Stair

As I was going up the stair
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today-
Oh, how I wish he'd go away.

--Anon

Ask Mummy Ask Daddy

When I ask Daddy
Daddy says ask Mummy

When I ask Mummy
Mummy says ask Daddy.
I don't know where to go.

Better ask my teddy
he never says no.

--John Agard