Poems for the Very Young

Time for bed

Today is a day that just won’t go away.
Tomorrow will never be here.
Yesterday doesn’t exist, and it hasn’t
For millions and billions of years.

This moment is short and it lasts for forever,
And memories are moments we keep.
But now is the time for this book to be closed
And for children to drift off to sleep.


Last night I went to the moon

Last night I went to the moon, I did.
Last night I went to the moon.
I arrived not a moment too soon, I did.
I arrived not a moment too soon.
If I had been later on reaching the crater
I’d never have seen what I saw.
And this rhyme that I’m writing would not be exciting,
And you wouldn’t read any more.
Last night I arrived just in time, I did.
Last night I arrived just in time.
I arrived at a quarter past nine, I did.
I arrived at a quarter past nine.
If I had got there with no moment to spare
I would never have heard what I heard.
And this story I’m telling would not be compelling,
And you wouldn’t read the next word.
Last night I flew to the moon, I did.
Last night I flew to the moon.
I flew in a giant balloon, I did.
I flew in a giant balloon.
If I knew you, I’d have taken you too
And we both could have gone where I went.
And you’d already know all there is I can’t show
You regarding this lunar event.
The Bears are Coming

Hark! Hark!
Out in the dark,
The bears have opened their eyes.

Thud! Thud!
Down in the wood,
The bears are beginning to rise.

Hush! Hush!
From out of a bush,
The bears are sneaking a peep.

Tip -Toe!
Silent and slow,
The bears are starting to creep.

Still! Still!
Up over the hill,
The bears are coming today.

Oh! No!
They’re crossing the road.
The bears are coming our way!

Wait! Wait!
The squeak of the gate.
The bears are soon to be here.

Knock! Knock!
The turn of the lock.
The bears are terribly near.

Hide! Hide!
The bears are inside.
We’d better get under the covers.

Creak! Creak!
Don’t move and don’t speak.
If we’re lucky we won’t be discovered.

Snore! Snore!
They’re outside your door.
Pretend that we’re both fast asleep.

Here goes!
I see hairy toes.
Stop breathing and snuggle down deep.

All…stop!
Our time is now up.
It looks like they’ve got us for good.

Scream! Scream!
It was only a dream.
The bears are still in the wood.
Countdown

10! And I am ready. I’m going to the moon.
9! All engines started. I’ll be away quite soon.
8! I press the buttons that will help me fly away.
7! And I check the dials - everything’s okay.
6! I hear the rumbling getting louder in my ears.
5! I feel some movement and then everybody cheers.
4! I’m a bit nervous now. Have I got everything?
3! I’m sure there’s something else that I forgot to bring.
2! The flames shoot upwards as my rocket starts to rise.
1! I see the people and they look as small as flies.
Lift off! And I realise the thing that I forgot.
My teddy’s in my bedroom so I’m going to have to STOP!
I’m not tired

Why can’t I stay up and watch TV?
My sister’s asleep but she’s not me.
She’s little three, but I’m big four.
Please, ten minutes more?

Why can’t I stay up and play my game?
My dad’s asleep and snoring again.
He’s so old, but I’m still young.
Five more minutes, Mum?

Why can’t I stay up to finish my cup?
I’m talking, Mum, so please wake up.
You’re head’s all droopy, but mine’s okay.
Two more minutes to play!

I’ve finished my drink and I’m tired, dear Ted.
But no-one’s awake to take me to bed.
I need tucking in and a kiss goodnight,
And someone to leave on the landing light.

Please lay down beside me and don’t make a peep.
I need to go to sleep.
Do you know where the Bobblebears go?

Do you know where the Bobblebears go
When the Googleray comes to town?
Because I don’t know where the Bobblebears go,
But I know that they don’t hang around.

Do they go to the Carroty Wood?
Or the Hills of Click (I think they should)?
Do they trek across the Desert of Cree?
Or swim across the Spandipan Sea?

Maybe they wade across the River of Sneer,
Or the Swamps of Ponk (that’s the best idea).
Maybe they fly to the Clouds of Squore,
Or flee to the Dampy Moor.

I bet they run to the Icy Strew,
Or the Lakes of Jerb (that’s what I’d do).
Or perhaps they sink to the bottom of the Schpoon,
Or float to the Wilvery Moon.

Tonight I went where the Bobblebears go
When the Googleray comes to town.
I followed them through the Carroty Wood
To the Hills of Click (like I said they should).

Then they headed across the Desert of Cree,
And swam across the Spandipan Sea.
They waded across the River of Sneer
To the Swamps of Ponk (my favourite idea).

I followed them up to the Clouds of Squore
And down to the Dampy Moor.
We ran and skated to the Icy Strew,
Past the Lakes of Jerb (like I knew they’d do).

And after we sank to the bottom of the Schpoon,
We floated to the Wilvery Moon.
But still they travelled and I followed behind,
Tired and weary and wondering what I’d find,

Till they stopped in a land unknown to me,
Where I saw a sign on an Oojaloop tree,
Which read, ‘To our guests from far away,
Welcome to the land of the Googleray’.
At the zoo

There are lots of good things you can do at the zoo
When you get to the front of the queue at the zoo,
And lots of things you can see too at the zoo
When you’ve managed to work your way through at the zoo.

You can look at the wild kangaroo at the zoo
And the owls that go tahwit-tahwoo at the zoo
And the monkeys that go oo-oo-oo at the zoo,
But there aren’t any cows that go moo at the zoo.

There are llamas that come from Peru at the zoo.
There are wildebeest known as gnu at the zoo.
But I think it is very untrue at the zoo
That you’ll find a horse in a canoe at the zoo.

The animals don’t play kazoo at the zoo
And the animals don’t eat fondue at the zoo
And the animals don’t do Kung Fu at the zoo,
But they can cause a hullabaloo at the zoo.

You can watch what the animals chew at the zoo –
They eat grass, they eat meat and bamboo at the zoo.
You can wait till they go to the loo at the zoo
And then watch it come out in their poo at the zoo.

When you’ve seen all there is you can view at the zoo
You had better not stay overdue at the zoo,
Or they might get a beast that is new at the zoo
In a cage – and that beast will be you at the zoo!
The frog and the elephant

The frog and the elephant flew to the sun.
They flew to the sun just to bake a fresh bun.
From a hot air balloon in a basket they hung,
And they paddled their way with a spoon.

The frog and the elephant flew to the sun.
They thought that to go to the sun would be fun.
They sang all the way and they danced while they sung
As they played on a silver bassoon.

The frog and the elephant flew to the sun.
It was something no elephant ever had done.
In the history of frog-kind there was not a one
Who had managed to get past the moon.

The frog and the elephant flew to the sun.
They flew for they knew it was too far to run,
And they got there just after their trip had begun,
Not a moment too late or too soon.

The frog and the elephant flew to the sun,
Though this tale, I may fear, will be trusted by none.
All will think it is just a wild story that’s spun
By a silly, nonsensical loon.

The frog and the elephant flew to the sun.
They flew to the sun just to bake a fresh bun.
They baked it and ate it and each said, ‘Yum! Yum!’
And were back in the jungle by noon.
Stinky Blankie

Stinky Blankie
Old and manky
Makes me happy
When me cranky
Smells like sicky
Warm and sticky
Feels so nice
To licky licky
Bits of snotty
Soft and grotty
Sometimes wet
When dipped in potty
Dirty grey-ey
Worn away-ey
Munch it, suck it
Ends all fray-ey
Clawed by moggy
Bit by doggy
Some of it
Be very soggy
Seems quite mucky
You say yucky
Favourite thing
For sucky sucky
Little squirmy
Wormy wormy
Have a taste
And make it germy
Drop in muddy
My best buddy
Mummy wash
In soapy suddy
In the sinky
No more stinky
Mike Lucas
130
Me no like it
Me no thinky
On the liney
Sunny shiny
Blankie no no
Feel like miney
Me want Blankie
Smelling manky
You made clean
And me no thanky
Me feel hurty
Me like dirty
No enjoy
My birthday thirty
Down in the woods where the bears go, “Boo!”

Down in the woods where the bears go, “Boo!”
I went in search of the Golden Blue.
Twelve feet wide with its wings unfurled,
The rarest of birds in the whole wide world,
Golden feathers and eyes of blue,
Down in the woods where the bears go, “Boo!”

Down in the woods where the bears go, “Boo!”
I went in search of the Golden Blue.
I looked under bushes and up in the trees,
High on my tippy toes and low on my knees.
There wasn’t anything that I wouldn’t do,
Down in the woods where the bears go, “Boo!”

Down in the woods where the bears go, “Boo!”
I went in search of the Golden Blue.
I heard a strange noise and I stood stock still.
I gazed down the valley and I looked up the hill.
Over the forest a great bird flew,
Down in the woods where the bears go, “Boo!”

Down in the woods where the bears go, “Boo!”
I went in search of the Golden Blue.
I followed the bird to the darkest bush,
Nothing there moved and the woods went, ‘hush.’
I pulled back a branch as a cold wind blew,
And out from the bush a bear went, “Boo!”
What’s the sense of weather?

You can’t hear lightning, you can’t see thunder.
Why can’t you do those things? I wonder.
You can’t touch rainbows, you can’t smell snow.
Why that is, I just don’t know.
You can’t taste wind or speak to rain.
Why is that? I ask again.
And when you put these facts together,
You find there’s just no sense to weather.
My penny

Where was my penny yesterday?
Was it near or far away?
What was it spent on?
Who did the spending?
Was it lent out?
Who did the lending?
Maybe a pirate had buried it once.
Maybe a referee tossed it.
But now it is mine ‘cause I found it today.
And if it was yours then you’ve lost it.

© Copyright Mike Lucas