King of the Castle
Hush now a baby’s asleep in our house
He’s captured the castle, we’re all in his thrall
His the agenda from cock crow ‘til dusk
The hour of reveille entirely his call
He’s brought his best books with him, sure we’ll provide
A lap for a story a cuddle a song
And bright from their pages, from childhood’s long gone
Come leaping the moments, the memories so strong
Lions in meadows, tigers at tea
Elephant with baby who never said please
The house built by Jack, with maiden forlorn
Caterpillar hungry for cup cake and cheese
The giant myopic who needed some specs
Remarkable diet, amazing Fat Cat
Cabin boy Tom and Nogbad the Bad
Burglar called Bill who cried ‘I will have THAT!’
I sing of the frogs who leapt in the pool
And monkeys excitable jumping on beds
Miss Polly with dolly so very sick sick
And brown paper wrapping for mending Jack’s head
Of Baby Beluga, white whale on the go
Beloved at bedtime for lulling to sleep
But singing of Chaplin and moon shining bright
I think of my mother, connections run deep
She sang as a child in the Devonshire lanes
Then passed to my children, who loved it the best
And now once again it’s heard in our house
Where a baby is sleeping. I smile, we are blessed
He’s captured the castle, we’re all in his thrall
His the agenda from cock crow ‘til dusk
The hour of reveille entirely his call
He’s brought his best books with him, sure we’ll provide
A lap for a story a cuddle a song
And bright from their pages, from childhood’s long gone
Come leaping the moments, the memories so strong
Lions in meadows, tigers at tea
Elephant with baby who never said please
The house built by Jack, with maiden forlorn
Caterpillar hungry for cup cake and cheese
The giant myopic who needed some specs
Remarkable diet, amazing Fat Cat
Cabin boy Tom and Nogbad the Bad
Burglar called Bill who cried ‘I will have THAT!’
I sing of the frogs who leapt in the pool
And monkeys excitable jumping on beds
Miss Polly with dolly so very sick sick
And brown paper wrapping for mending Jack’s head
Of Baby Beluga, white whale on the go
Beloved at bedtime for lulling to sleep
But singing of Chaplin and moon shining bright
I think of my mother, connections run deep
She sang as a child in the Devonshire lanes
Then passed to my children, who loved it the best
And now once again it’s heard in our house
Where a baby is sleeping. I smile, we are blessed
12th August 2009, Hounoux
And blessed you are!
ReplyDeleteFrom Lyn Atkinson
ReplyDeleteI love the poem. The feelings and the inter-twining of present and past is something I experience daily and especially when I have time with one of the boys. But not just that, having them and other children around now seems to connect us so directly to old memories (although I certainly couldn’t have remembered all the titles you cite).
(Just as I put this comment on I have Luca presenting me with The Elephant and the Bad Baby to read!)
What I love about your poems is that they're usually so happy. You are a good role model - mine can get quite glum if I let them!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenny- struggling here with King of Castle refusing to leave my lap!-Just did a tally of all poems published since started writing for friend's 60th on Christmas Eve, and there are 61!!! Am amazed. And actually there are 3 more not published. Thinking about your comment makes me reflect on why and when I write those poems. I am indeed blessed I think Jenny and during the last 6 months have had many heart-warming things to write about, in India and in Australia and England with grandchildren. Lately my poems have been about the beauty of the summer landscape out here too. A very recent poem of course 'When I was a giant' came out of extremely strong negative feelings, but the writing of it was so cathartic and let the dreadful anger out. Thank you for saying I am a positive role model as I have made that a conscious endeavour especially in recent years as a teacher/Headteacher, but it isn't always easy for me to remember.
ReplyDeleteKathryn:
ReplyDeleteYou’ve made me want to be little again! Storybook imagines dancing alive in my head. How lucky he is to have you. Childhood can be such a magic time!
That is one of the great joys of being a mum or a granny, that you get to go back to your childhood. Rosie and Jay discuss things like which page of The Hungry Caterpillar was their favorite ( Saturday actually for both of them, with the enormous number of random foods like salami and lollipop and cupcake and Swiss cheese!)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed all the memories this stirred up. I loved the chance to read 'lilla' to your little one. It is one of the things I miss being out of the classroom. I remember at home how many times phrases of familiar stories were used in day to day routines and when connections were made. I occassionally still get this when picking up an avocado pear! What your King of the Castle reminded me of was the intensity which children feel stories, they get that lovely head to toe ripple like the one in the pause before tickly under there!!
ReplyDeleteLuca has apparently really taken to our very old- cost 30p new!- copy of The House that Jack Built and can recite all of it. Heaven knows what he thinks Malt is- that the rat ate! It gave me such an instant recall of reading it with Anna as a two year old, around the time Dan was born. Dan made me buy Each Peach today in Smiths because of his own happy memories of it, for his Zachy to enjoy.
ReplyDeletePS Rose says that thanks to his infatuation with the Elephant and the Bad Baby, Luca himself has learned to say 'yes'- or Dess as he says it, and now says 'Dess please mummy' a great deal, as well as 'No picking flowers' as he walks round the garden! What a sweetheart.
ReplyDelete