OUR POETRY

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

OUR POETRY

“MEASLES." (■Sent by Merle Druce.) My dolly’s got the measles! ■She’s got them awful bad!' But as I’se got the measles, too, I’se really raver glad! ’Cos dolly is such company To play wif, don’t you see, Now Bob an’ Joan an’ Muriel Must keep away from me! I quite enjoy the measles! / Folks spoil me lots an’ lots. z They brings me toys an’ books an’ fings Just ’cos I’se out in spots! And daddy’s painted dolly red — ’Twill wash off later on, When me an’ dolly’s bofe quite well {Wii all the measles gone!” ..WEE WILLIE WINKLE. (■Sent by Tom Coupe.) Wee Willie Winkie Runs through the town, ’ Upstairs and downstairs In his nightgown. Rapping at the window, Crying through the lock Are the children in their beds, For now it’s eight o’clock? THE PLOUGHBOY. (Sent by Doris Stevenson.) I The ploughboy is the farmer’ll son, He doesn’t live, in town, But far, far in the country, Where his father’s fields lie brown. He is a cheery little chap, He gets up with the lark, And whistles at his work all day, And goes to bed at dark. THE MONTHS OF ENGLAND. ‘(Sent by Violet Dryden.) January bring the snow, Makes our feet and fingers glow. February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen lake again. ■ March brings breezes sharp and chill ■Shakes the dancing daffodil. April brings the primrose sweet, Scatters daisies at our feet. May brings flocks of pretty lambs, Sporting round their fleecy dams. June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children’s hands with posies. Hot July brings thunder storms, Apricots and gilly flowers. August brings the sheaves of corn, Then the harvest home is borne. Warm September brings the fruit, Sportsmen then begin to shoot. Brown. October brings the pheasant, Then to gather nuts is pleasant. Dull November brings the blast— Hark! The leaves are whirling fast. Cold December brings the sleet, Blazing fire and Christmas treat.

ON SUNDAY.

('Sent by Laurie Fletcher.) Willie Pale and Bushy Tail Sat upon a fence, Dressed up in their best clothes Looking rather tense. Said Willie Pale to Bushy Tail “Do you like my hat, “My mother trimmed it all herself “Sitting on the mat.” Said Bushy Tail to Willie Pale, , “My mother made this suit,"’ “I hate to wear my best clothes, “Let’s play upon the flute.” So up they played a merry tune, That made, the old cats dance Along the fence and back again, As if they came from France. “THE CAT AND THE BROOM.” (Sent by Joyce Shoemark.) The broom looks tattered and tired to-day, The raggedest stick of a broom; It couldn’t reach up for a cobweb grey, Or sweep out the smallest room. And trusty Tomkins, our little black With fur like the finest silk, Is curled up tight in a ball on the mat, 'Too sleepy to drink hiis milk. And the bad old broom looks rakish and shy— It’s been up to some mischief, I see— And puss, from the narrow satin eye, Looks wickedly out at me. Ho, ho, I know what the rascal pair In the midnight, hours were at, It wasn’t mousing or sweeping the stair, That made them look that. I know by the old broomh battered plight, And Tomkins’ look of sin; They were both of them out with a witch last night, And they’ve only just come in. A NONSENSE RHYME. . (Original—D. Bilski.) The moon from high up in the sky, Smiled down at me, tho’ she looked shy. And I smiled back up at the moon, I’ll be up there with you quite soon. The moon looked quite incredulous, And said, “You’d make a great big fuss To find yourself up in the sky. I feel quite sure you’d start to cry.” I like the moon, the moon likes me, But she does not want me to see Where she comes from, or where she goes. And I can’t see on tippy toes. I wonder if our fairy, Tink, Will, to the moon, just tip a wink, And tell her to be more polite, When she comes out to talk tonight. Please tell me all about herself, Whether she thinks that I’m an elf, And will she tell me how to try To get up to her in the sky. I’d like to talk to the man in the moon. But he always goes away too soon. I’ll see him yet, if once I try, To find the ladder up to the sky.

MUSCULAR FEAT.

He: “Did you make these biscuits with your own little hands?” ■She: “Yes. Why?” He: “I just wondered who lifted them off the stove for me. 1 '

THE SWIMMING BATH. (Sent by Albert and Rennel Robinson.) The swimming bath is not like any other place at all; The smell of it, the feel of it—they meet you in the hall. You take your ticket and you climb a little stair, You push the swing door open, and quite suddenly you're there. Such a big, big square of water, such a funny echoing noise; And crowds of girls with coloured cap<s, and very little boys. And some of them .have blown-up belts, and some have blown-up ' wings, While mothers walk along the sides, and with ropes and things. And if you’re very big and brave you dive where it is deep, And if you’re only middling. big you take a splashing leap; But if you’re very small, like me, the steps are nice and handy, And Mother never makes you jump, because she’s understandy. And how they take me on a rope and tow me up and down, iSo even where it’s very deep, of course, I couldn’t drown: But I shall go alone when I have learnt a' little more, So that if I’m ever shipwrecked I can simply swim ashore. , —R. Fyleman. THE COW.' (Sent by Ethel Batley.) A friendly cow all red and white I love with all my heart, j She gives me cream with all her might To eat with apple tart. She wanders lowing here and there, And yet she cannot stray, All in .the pleasant open air, ' The pleasant light of day. And blown by all the winds that pass, And wet with all the showers, \ She walks among the meadow grass, And eats the meadow flowers, . MY DOG SEES A FAIRY. (Sent by Joyce Masters and Beatrice I saw a little fairy Sitting on the grass; She wore the prettiest flowery things; Her tiny, shiny, painted wings Were made of golden glass. Bingo made a rush at her; Bingo is a dunce; For in a twinkling of an eye , She turned into a butterfly, ■ And flew away at once. THE BLACKBIRD’S SONG. A blackbird sat on a thorn-bush Beside the garden door, And wind and shadows danced together Upon the nursery- floor. “Come out,” sang the blackbird, “You’re late, you’re late, “I am waiting for you “ißy the garden gate.”, The wind and the gay leaf shadows, They danced and teased in vain, For the children hid their sleepy eyes And cuddled right down again. “Oh, there’s sunshine and music ■And laughter and fun, Wake up,” sang the blackbird, “And walk in the sun.” ‘‘There’s larkspur and pansies And roses and heather, Come out,” sang the bird, “In this beautiful, -weather.” ( When the children looked out of their window , The sun had hidden away; There was only the sobbing wind and the rain, And a grey and dreary day. ■ “Alas!” sang the blackbird, “The sun would.n’t wait! Why couldn’t you wake? You’re too late, too late!”

THE SUN AND THE RAIN. (Sent iby Betty Olliver.) Down falls the pleasant rain, T.o water thirsty flowers. Then shines the sun again, To cheer this earth of ours. If it should always rain, The flowers would be drowned; I>f the sun would always shine, No flowers would be found. MY ME'N.\ (Sent by Molly and Ngaire Knox.) I keep six hones't serving men, They taught me all I knew. Their names are What, Why and When, And How and Where and Who. AgjMISTAKE. (Sent by Moljly and Ngaire Knox.) Piggy wig, piggy wig, what makes you lie -''■ And grumble and grunt in your nice wooden stye? ( ' To say that I grumble is quite a mistake, It’s because I snore loudly, although I’m awake. THE DONKEY AND THE SALT. (Sent by Molly and Ngaire Knox.) One day a man took his donkey to get a load of salt and on the way home they had to cross a river. As the donkey was wading the river he fell and wet ■the salt, which melted in a very short time. Soon the donkey discovered the trick and he said to himself, “That was a good trick. I will do it againi” The next day the man put a load of sponges on the donkey’s back. The donkey, thinking he had a load of salt, fell down again as soon as he stepped in the water, to make his load light. The sponges became very heavy when they were full of water, and the donkey could hardly walk with his heavy load. The next time the donkey crossed the river he did not fall down. This little story teaches us never to try the same trick twice.

A PARTY. ('Sent by Molly Wheeler.) There was a little mouse, Who built a little house, And hired a chimney-pot; She bought a little rug, A teapot, and a jug; A saucer, too, she bought. She gave a party then, The guests were nine or ten, All proud as proud could be; And from that saucer nice, Some nine or ten small mice Had lovely sips of tea. Now when the feast was done, The guests said, everyone, “To go is very hard.” The little mouse said, “When You care to come again, Just drop me, dear, a card.” (Sent by John ■ Kennedy.) With a bull at my heels I scrambled along, Through blackberry, fences and briar, But instead of the barbed wire tearing my shirt, My wire-twist curls twisted the wire.

■Seaside Visitor: “Whatever was that singing throughout 4 the night ?” Chambermaid: “We was so full, sir, that mistress let the bath to a gentleman.”

MINNIE’S CAT. (Sent by Charlie Schuler.)’ Minnie was sweeping up the floor, When she heard a noise outside the door. On opening it, she found on the mat The sweetest, furriest, big black cat. And five wee kittens were with her too, ' ) Who rushed to Min and began to mew. Mother said Minnie could keep the ’ cats, So long as they did not tear the mate. The cats and Minnie were always at play, And there they live to this very day! THE FORCE OF EXAMPLE. ,■ (Sent by , Rahotu.) Our master goes out with a stick in his hand And walks through the town very noble and grand. So why shouldn’t we (his particular pet,s) Just follow the splendid example he sets ? Through sunshine and shadow he walks round the square, His elbow well out and his nose in the air, And one of his feet you will certainly find, . Is always in front, while the other s i behind. Then back again, back again, homeward he goes, To rest in a chair for an hour of repose; . , And curled on their mats lie the two little pets Who follow the splendid example he sets.

CAN YOU GUESS? /

(Sent by Gwen Huwiler.) When is a boy like a snake?—When he is doing sums, because he is an Why is the letter “A” like twelve o’clock ?—-Because it is in the middle of dAy (day): Why is a house like the sun?—Because they both have “beams.” What is everyone doing at exactly the same time ?—Growing older. (Sent by Joyce Shoemark.) I have a face, and two hands, and they both go round, what am I? —A clock. What can eat wood? —An axe. (Sent by Thelma Tanner.) When someone splits his sideis with -laughter what must they do? —‘Run until he gets the stitch in them. z . What city ought to float well?—Cork. What river is always asking a question?—Wye. ; Why are the milestones like plum stones?—Because they are never found in pairs (pears). _ When are the birds sad in the morning? —‘When their bills are all overdue (oyer dew). (Sent by Molly Wheeler.) When is a dog’s tail not a tail ?■— When it is a waggin’ (wagon). What has a heart that never will beat?—A cabbage. What happened to the man who swallowed a spoon? —He couldn’t stir. When do two halves make five? —Two half-crowns, five shillings. Why did the garden walk? —(Because it heard the tap running. . What fish do birds like best?—A perch. . ’ ' Why is the middle of a tree like a dog’s tail?—Because it is farthest from the bark.

iiiihtinieiniiHiHiiitiiiiiHnHiniiiiinniiinntiiiuininisi

THE ELF AND THE MOON. Whenever Silly Billy wanted anything that could not immediately be given to him, he cried and cried until just for the sake of peace he got what he wanted. , One night, as' he lay in bed, he saw a big round golden balloon sailing along in the sky. Of course, it was the moon, but that made no difference to' Silly Billy, who decided to cry for it! His mother came running up to see what was the matter. “I want the moon;” cried Billy. “But, s darling,” said his mother, /'you can’t have the moon. It is out of reach.” “800-hoo!” screamed Billy. “I .want it!” At this, his mother lost patience and went out of the room. Now, a very mischievous elf, who lived among the ivy leaves beneath the window, heard all the noise, and, creeping into Billy’s room, whispered: — “Come with me! I’ll give you the moon.” He led the wondering Billy out into the garden and down to the pond. “Look!” he cried, pointing to the still water. “There’s the moon!” “So it is!” cried Silly Billy, and as he leaned toward the water to gather the shimmery moon into his hands the elf gave him a push, and he fell wqth a splash into the pond. Billy’s screams soon brought mother and father into the garden. “That’s what comes of crying for the moon,” said his father. But strange to say, Billy never cried for anything foolish again, for fear that ivy elf was near, because there was no knowing what he might do next time.

COSTLY. A dainty young lassie from Leigh, iSaid “Postman! These parcels for me?” Costly presents, I guess! The postman said, “Yes— There’s four of them marked C.0.D.” # # * * WHAT HE WENT THROUGH. “I never thought I’d pull through, but I did. First I got angina pectoris, followed by arterio-sclerosis. Just as I was recovering from these I got tuberculosis, pneumonia, appendicitis, aphasia, and hypertrophic cirrhosis. Then I had diabetes, gastritis, rheumatism, lumbago, and neuritis. I was given morphia ” “Good heavens, you don’t look much the worse for it.”

“I wasn’t ill, you idiot! I was up for my spelling test in connection with a Jiealth Department job.”-