For a bedtime scrapbooking page.
Please tell me one more story
before you switch off my light!
Please give me one more kiss and hug
before you say Goodnight! My Special Toy
In the corner of my bedroom is a very special toy,
It isn't by a famous brand,
It's good for girl or boy.
You can stand in it and spread your arms,
Pretend you're in a plane,
If you whistle then shout "All aboard",
It turns into a train.
I've been a spaceman in a rocket,
On a mission to the Moon;
Famous driver of a Buggy,
Driving fast across the dunes.
Daring pirate in an old three-master
Wrecked upon the rocks;
Just me,
my imagination,
And that big brown cardboard box! Dressing Up
In the funny world of "make believe"
It's marvellous you see -
How you can be all of those things
You'll ever want to be:
A beautiful young princess, a cowboy, or a clown,
A lion from the circus that's coming up to town.
A graceful ballerina, a nurse or movie star,
A famous racing driver in a big, red shiny car.
You don't need many things you know,
Just a string of beads or two,
A floppy hat, a cast-off skirt
A cardboard box ... and
YOU! A Piece of Invisible Tape!
Marigold Hyacinth Bottomly- Bly
Was hopeless at maths and no-one knew why.
She wasn't even able to count up to ten
Just up to eight then back again.

Her mother said: "She must have a block
We'll try sending her to the Number Doc."
The Number Doc was a wise old man
Who lived next door in a watering can;
He was clever at repairing all manner of things
From broken formulas to butterflies' wings.

He examined young Marigold and said
"I've found it - you've got a hole in your head.
You see it's just behind your ear
And the numbers all fly out from here."
He then stopped up the hole with invisible tape
So all the numbers couldn't escape.

Marigold Hyacinth Bottomly- Bly
Is now top of the class and no-one knows why.
They don't know of the piece of invisible tape
That helps all her numbers
not to
escape. Hip, hip hooray
I'm glad to say
School finally is out.
I just can't wait to laugh and play,
That's what hols are about.
No waking up at crack of dawn,
No running for the bus,
No "hurry up it's late you know!"
No early morning fuss.
Mum's organised a party,
Then a visit to the zoo
With candy floss and ice cream cones
So why don't you
come
too? Dreams ...
"Over the mountains and far away"..
That's where she's going to live someday.
I say she's too young to even think of those things,
But when you're thirteen
All your dreams have
wings.

(this may be adapted using "he" for " she" and changing the age) Secret Hopes!
This year I hope I'll make it.
I want so much to be
A shepherd in the Christmas Play,
The school Nativity.

Last year I was a camel,
(I'd have preferred a King) -
Then Michael Jones got measles
So I did the angel thing.

Shepherds don't have much to say,
Just " Lo!" and things like that;
So then I won't forget my lines
And make the audience laugh.

Please teacher can I make it?
Will you please let me be
A shepherd in the Christmas Play,
This year's Nativity? Rosalind Cristabel Morrison- Moore
Rosalind Cristabel Morrison-Moore
Has long blonde hair
and is only four.
Now shortly she'll be going to school
To read and write as is the rule.
To write all that will be a pain
Why couldn't her mother have called her
Jane? Scrumptious Dumpling
Her name is Scrumptious Dumpling-
She's my little black toy cat,
With a bell and fluffy collar
And a flower pot hat.
I got her many years ago
From a good friend of my mother
She's lost an eye and half an ear
In battles with my brother.
There's a label on her paw that says
"Press here" and if you do
My little Scrumptious Dumpling
will try and "purr" for you.
It's really not a kitty purr
More a mechanical "Miaouw"
But I love my Scrumptious just the same
Because she is just so. Soldier Boy
My dad is a soldier like many dads are
But hates it when people just talk about war,
So one night he called me and held me real tight
And we talked and we talked way into the night.
He said " Hey little man, you must understand
Why your daddy is leaving for a Faraway Land.

There are faraway places where I have to go
Where people are suffering, it's so bad you know.
We're going to help them to start life again
We must stop the badness of some of those men.
So stay close to your Mommy as she'll understand
If you're worried about daddy in a Faraway Land."

A boy must stand tall and a boy must stand straight
Now this isn't so easy if you're just over eight.
My grandmas and grandpas are coming to stay
To help me and Mommy while dad is away.
But one thing I'm sure of and I understand
Is I'm proud of my daddy in that Faraway Land.

My dad's not a fighter he's gentle and wise
Says you can't solve a problem by blacking kids' eyes.
He's taught me to share things, to help others too
He says "help other people and they will help you".
So I'm happy to say and I do understand
That my dad's helping people in a Faraway Land.

Some kids play at war games with big plastic guns
But dad says that violence you shouldn't teach sons.
There are times when I miss him and Mum sees a tear,
So she wraps her arms round me and kisses my ear.
She says "Sure you miss daddy but please understand
He'll soon be back safely from that Faraway Land."

On Thursday my dad phoned it was a surprise
My mom was so happy she only could cry.
Then when I spoke with him he promised to be
Back home for my birthday to party with me.
We'll play games and eat things and I'll hold his hand
'Cos my daddy'll be back from that Faraway Land. The "Fing"
She made it from a cardboard box some paper and some glue.
She cut out lots of pictures and stuck them on it too.
She sat quite still and coloured it, got paint upon her nose.
Then added lots of "glitty stuff" to make sure that it glows.
She really got quite dirty, paint and glitter in her hair
But, tongue stuck out, she laboured on and didn't seem to care.
When she said that she had finished we put it out to dry
And my tired little crafter let out such a happy sigh.
The object now is on my desk for all the world to see-
The "fing" my daughter made me when she was only three. The Morning After
There are clothes on the beds and all over the place
and comic books under the desk.
There's a sock on the light and the curtain is torn
and the bathroom's a terrible mess!
There's popcorn and pizza and bottles of pop.
A CD is still singing away
and three ten year old buddies
asleep on the floor,
on "sleep-over party" Sunday! Tilly and Smith
Tilly and Smith are my neighbours' kids next door.
They're normal little pests and terrible for sure,
"Quietly" is a taboo word that never comes to mind
If there's rumpus all around you then they're never far behind.

Smith is always clumsy and goes treading on the cat,
While Tilly is the one that broke the window with a bat,
Someone dropped a box of milk all on the kitchen floor
Then when looking for the cornflakes shut his finger in the door.

Their Mum can't plant her flowers for all the world to see
'Cos an angel comes and pulls them up
Now could it be Tilly?

They're always full of attitude, never "Yes" and always "No"
Lots of stamping feet and breaking glass
And wanting it just so.

Smith and his sister Tilly never do as they are told
But when their Grandma comes to stay they are as good as gold.
She teaches them to ride their bikes
and also how to cook
Maybe they just need some hugs and love
to get them off the hook.
The patience of a grandma as all grandchildren know
Is a very special quality that helps to make you grow.

So all of you who are out there
And know a Tilly or Smith

Go grab yourself a grandma!

Susi has generously offered these poetic writings for your personal use. They may also be used on hand made items that are offered for sale however no more than two writings may be published within a single project without first receiving express written permission by the author and copyright holder Susan A Banks. Please credit the writings to Susan A Banks on your projects - Thank You.

All poems Copyright © 2004-2007 Susan A Banks