THE THING ABOUT THE THINGS ABOUT

The thing about air

Is that it blows all about

And if you breathe in

Then you must also breathe out

Because if you breathe in

And forget to stop

You’ll just get bigger and bigger

And eventually you’ll go pop.

The thing about humans

Is that we grow taller and taller

There’d be much more room

If we grew smaller and smaller

The thing about the ground

Is that it’s useful to stand on

And if you’re up in a plane

It’s the best thing there is to land on

If you step outside for a walk

The ground is always there

It’s the only thing that stops you

Disappearing into thin air.

The thing about night-time

Is that it couldn’t be duller

It goes from grey to black and

Should be a different colour

Think how brighter it would be

If night were yellow or red

Or blue or pink or green

Or even purple and orange instead.

The thing about the sea

Is that it’s always going out

But it will come in again

Of that there is no doubt

If only it would stay in one place

Think of the effort it would save

No more hellos and goodbyes

Nor any need to wave.

The thing about dates

Is that they are accident prone

And though they must hurt themselves

You never hear them groan

New Year falls in January

Christmas falls in December

Valentines falls in February

Bonfire Night falls in November

And if you look at the calendar

It makes it quite clear

All the dates will fall again

In the same place next year.

The thing about stars

Is that you can’t see them in light

And that’s because someone

Puts them away at the end of each night;

But they also have to be put back

In their positions in the sky

Or those nosey astronomers

Will all want to know why.

Is their tales of suns by the billion

Of black holes and asteroid belts

And planets by the trillion

But if you could just drift into space

Or go cruising in a rocket.

You’d find stars are just twinkles

And you could fit them in your pocket.

ZOOS AT NIGHT

The best time to go to the zoo

Is just after it closes

But before it gets dark is wise

You can always take a peek in

But it’s better if you sneak in

And remember your disguise

Because that’s the time they

Let the animals out to exercise.

Oh yes it is all very friendly

Not at all like they tell you

On all those TV wildlife shows;

Zebras and lions exchange their news

Like old mates in post office queues

Instead of coming to blows

Because they don’t bother with fighting

Once the zoo has closed.

Which is why you’ll see wildebeest

Going for a paddle and a chat

With his pal the crocodile;

Now his language has become cleaner

They’ll sit down with the hyena

Who will perhaps make them smile,

Though he laughs at his own jokes

It makes the listening more worthwile.

The rhino and the elephant

Will go for their evening stroll

And while they talk they’ll nibble some cake;

Now he doesn’t have to run

The cheetah has some fun

Hanging around with his pal the snake

Who is wrapped around his neck

While they go for a swim in the lake.

Because there is no-one to see them

The penguins can fly about

And drop some fish to the polar bear

The camels  will take the chance

Of asking the bison for a dance

Of course,  after she has combed her hair.

As a  keeper shuffles some cards

And deals them to the giraffes

For the nightly game of snap

Between the animals and the staff.

In an hour they blow a whistle

Then they all get off to bed

And very soon you’ll hear them snore

When they get up for their food

They’re back in a bad mood

‘Cos they find the whole thing such a bore.

Doing nothing behind bars all day

Until its exercise time once more.

SONNETS AND LIMERICKS (A poem for two people)

                                                                      I write limericks

                                                      And I write sonnets

                                                                               (Together)

                                                                               We are totally obsessed

                                                We have bees in our bonnets

                                                      I have fourteen lines

                                    And I have just five

                                                      I can make my words waltz

                                             And I can make mine jive

                                    My rhymes are all a joke

                                          I am here to make you laugh

                                                      My rhymes are for lovers

                               Who haven’t had a bath

                                                      I can make you sigh

                                But I can make you grin

                                                      I can bring a tear to your eye

                                   If I kick you on your shin

                                                      I write of red, red roses

                                                      How they open, like my heart

                                                      And how the scent of them will carry

                                Half the distance of a fart

                         I know you are from Dundee

                                          And I yearn for your embrace

                                        With barnacles all on one knee

                            And seaweed all over your face

                                                      I will write earnestly of love

                                               I of an old woman from somewhere

                                                      And how I shall count the stars above

                                      Waving her knickers in the air.

                                                      I will say I love you for ever

                                                      And swear I’ll always be true

                                                      We’ll always hold each other’s hand

                                            Cos’ they’re stuck with superglue.

                                                      If music be the food of love

                                         Then make mine a sausage roll

                                                      My hunger grows all the more

                                      For sloppy custard in a bowl.

MEN IN WHITE COATS

Sometimes scientists go too far

And what they do isn’t nice

Like crossing a cat and a parrot

To make a carrot that chases mice

Now scientists down our way

Got my Uncle Jim in a tiz

By crossing an antelope and a lizard

And coming up with my Aunt Liz

There were scientists who found

They had no dessert left to eat

So they crossed a fruit bat and magpie

And their fruit pie went down a treat

They wanted a bird to dance a ballet

So crossed a toucan with a cockatoo

I don’t know if they made a dancer

But at least they’d got a tutu

There was a scientist called Old McDonald

Who took a cow and emu as a pair

And now on his farm in Scotland

He’s got moo-mus everywhere

They are checking the oddest combination

For the first signs of any hairs

Before introducing to the world

A tank of tadpolar bears

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

She was called Festerbestertester

And embarrassed by her name

For her classmates laughed at her

And she held her parents to blame.

“Oh, mum why couldn’t you have picked

Sue or Sharon or Sam or something similar

Felicity, Fiona or Fizz

Or something quite familiar

What’s the matter with you and dad

What were you thinking at the time

It’s one thing having a stupid name

Quite another one that rhymes

Mum was stern when she replied

Don’t feel embarrassment or shame

The Festerbestertesters go back in history

And we are proud of the family name

When Julius Caesar invaded Britain

He made his capital at Cirencester

And who do you think he put in charge

Luigi Festerbestertester

 

Whenever Henry Xlll got married

He was entertained by his court jester

And his wives laughed their heads clean off

At Charlie Festerbestertester

There was only one man for the first Elizabeth

And he was the Earl of Leicester

And she never loved another

Until she met Shakespeare Festerbestertester

Now when Lord Nelson hit a storm

And called for his sou’wester

Who do you think brought it him

But Captain Festerbestertester

In the history of the Church of Rome

The Italians say who issa besta

The Eenglishman, they all agree,

Pope Paul Festerbestertester

And who revolutionised fashion

By inventing polyester

It wasn’t Marks or Spencer

But Professor Festerbestertester.

So you see my daughter

Why you should shout your name out loud

It’s not to be ashamed of

We have done our country proud.

Oh mum you don’t listen

I am proud of our family

I am angry you took so little thought

When you chose a name for me

All the kids take the mick

They laugh at me all the time

Because how you picked my name

So it became one long rhyme…

Mum, why did you have to call me ESTHER?