OUR POETRY

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1934, Page 9 (Supplement)

OUR POETRY

THE SLEEPERS. (Sent by Frances Ogier. ■ Autumn is here, The year's growing older, Evenings drew in, Mornings grow colder, Bracken turns yellow, Berries turn red, And the sleepers are secretly Making then' bed. The dormouse in sunbeams Sits rubbing his nose And blinkily nodding off Into a doze, While the hedgehog by twilight (For such are his habits) Spreads moss in a snug hole That once was a rabbit’s. Soon they will, all of them, Cosily creep Into their bedroom And tumble asleep. Even the toad,' Now as plump as a mole, Will decide he had better be Toad in a hole 1 MY AERODROME. (Sent by Nancy Radford.) To-day because it's very wet I had to stay and play at home, So halfway up the attic stairs, I made an aerodrome. I used umbrellas, all there were, I opened them quite wide, A large one in the middle, And smaller ones each side. It would have been a splendid game But people spoilt it so. First Dad said, “Hullo! where’s my gamp ? I left it here, I know.” Then Sis said “My umbrella gone;. It’s deluging with rain.” And Tom cried “Hurry give me mine, Or I shall miss the train.” So Tom and Sis each took a wall, And Daddy took the top, My aerodrome has disappeared, I wish the rain would stop I CABBAGES. (Sent by June Procter.) Eight great cabbages growing in the ground, Crowds of little caterpillars creeping all around, Caterpillars squirmed about and wriggled in the sun, Said “Those cabbages look sweet—suppose we taste of one ?”' Down flew a hungry bird, coming from the wood, Saw the caterpillars and said, “Won’t they taste good.” Up crept pussy, hunting round for mice, Saw the bird, smacked her lips and said "Won’t he taste nice.” Dog saw pussy there and he began to run, . Said “Now I’ll frighten puss and then there’ll be some fun.” So doggie barked, pussy hid, and birdie flew away, And caterpillars lived to eat a cabbage up that day. THE GOBLIN CHAP. (Sent by Harold Rees.) I am a little goblin chap, I wear- a feather ,in my cap. Atchoo ! Atchoo ! What shall I do ? These coughs and colds make me feel blue. I met a giant along the way. He said, “You have a cold to-day, Put one of these between your lips; They’re known as giant brand Nippy Nips.” I tried them once, I tried them twice, They tasted very warm and nice; My cold just vanished right away, My sore throat, too—so that I say, “If coughs or colds give you a pip, You’ll ?ure them with a Nippy Nip.” WHERE’S JIM? (Sent by Douglas West.) On Christmas Eve our servant did An unexpected flit, So all the family rallied round And each one did their bit. We all worked very hard except My little brother Jim, Who disappeared, and no one knew Just where to look for him. So when at length he reappeared, Quite sternly father spoke: “You rascal, we’ve been working hard, And you’ve not done a stroke !” “But I’ve been jolly busy, too !’’ Young Jim made haste to say. “I’ve been inside the larder, dad, Er—putting things away.” THE STORM. (Sent by Poppy Nelson.) We wake to hear the storm come down, Sudden on roof and pane; The thunder’s loud and the hasty wind ■ Hurries the beating rain. The rain slackens, the wind blows gently, The gust grows gentle and still, And the thunder, like a beating stick, Stumbles about the hills. The drops still hang, on leaf and thorn, The downs stand up more green. The sun comes out again in power And the sky is washed and clean. —Edward Shanks. THE TOLL-GATE HOUSE. (Sent by Kathleen Copeman.) , The toll-gate’s gone, but still stands alone In the dip of the hill the house of stone, But over the roof, in the branching pine The great owl sits in the white moonshine. An old man lives, and lonely there His windows yet on the cross-roads stare, His casement open wide he flings, With a “Who goes there ?” a lantern swings, But never more in the dim moonbeam Than a cloak and a plume and the silver gleam Of passing spurs in the night can he see, For the toll-gate’s gone, and the toad is free. WHEN THE FAIRIES WENT AWAY. (Sent by Nola Gray.) Last night the fairies went away So everything’s gone wrong to-day. Although I do not know just why, I felt so cross, I had to cry ! Nurse said, “Don’t make that dreadful noise !” I tore my clothes, and smashed my toys, I spilt the milk out of my cup And wouldn’t eat my porridge up. I trod upon poor pussy’s tail. And made her mew and loudly wail. “You must have tumbled out of bed Upon the wrong side,” Nursey said. But that was not the reason why All things to-day have gone awry. The reason why I feel so blue I’ll in a whisper tell to you; The fairies went away, you see, But never said good-bye to me !