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Tag Archives: kids
THE LEMONADE LINK
We kids wanted to open
A lemonade stand
Smack dab on the corner
Of Flagstaff and Grand.
But when we arrived,
Supplies all in tow,
Right there on our spot
Was a telephone pole.
Should we relocate?
Give up our plan?
Set up mid-Flagstaff?
Or further down Grand?
No way, we kids said.
That corner’s our goal.
So what if they just….
Moved the telephone pole?
Could that even happen?
Not if we don’t ask,
We agreed then proceeded
To take on the task.
We filled out the forms
Began a petition:
“The Lemonade Kids
Seek Pole Reposition.”
We carried the papers
To City Hall
“This isn’t a thing
we’ve considered at all,”
Said the Receptionist,
Mayor and Clerk.
“Well, I have!” said the Bureau Chief
Of Lemon Work.
“Lemonade was around
long before those phone wires –
which the need for, admit it,
will quite soon expire.
“Look to the future,
These kids are our link!
Invest in their vision:
Wireless lemon drink!”
The Receptionist, Mayor
And Clerk were dumbfounded.
And though trying to hide it,
We kids were astounded.
Our once barely crawling
Lemonade stand
Suddenly had grown legs,
Sprung up and ran.
With a stamp and a seal
And a chorus of “Aye!”s
Our motion was granted
Right before our eyes.
What-if became why became how then
KAPOW!
On the corner of Flagstaff and Grand
We sell now,
Where that telephone pole
Did not go to waste,
After we chopped it up
Into seats for our place.
A place people stop
To sip a cool drink
And to hear the old tale
Of the Lemonade Link.
THE VERY FABRIC OF PETER COTTONTAIL
The life of Peter Cottontail
Would not have been the same
If Leather was the fabric
At the start of his last name.
Imagine Naugahyde or Burlap
Where “Cotton”’s always been
And how Pete’s kid-soft-lap-snapshot-biz
That would so badly spin.
How would Pete be received as
Satintail or Denimtail?
Would then on a motorbike
He ride the bunny trail?
If those pastel egg deliveries
Came from Peter Polyester,
Around Easter lots of sketchy feels
Might every springtime fester.
Yes, the life and times he’s mastered
Might have truly faltered
If Peter Cottontail’s old tailor
His name even slightly altered.
ARM CONFLICT
A new snow-ski Vest
I got from my mom
I’ve heard nice things about it
Except from my arms.
“We just bet,” they both say,
“That thing is the best,
If you’re a belly,
A back or a chest,
“Sealed in from the chill
Inside puffy armor,
Not two nude kazoos in
Full vibrato arm-brrrr.
“While you think it’s real smart
a ‘lightweight sleeveless jacket,’
we brothers-in-arms say:
Vests are a racket!”
“I guess,” said the Vest,
“About as much as gloves,
And long johns, wool socks and
Those things ears call ‘Muffs.’
“Pipe down out there, Arms,
Save your noise for the beach.
The value of vests
Seems well past your reach.”
When my snow-ski vest’s on now,
My Arms roll their eyes,
The chips on their shoulders
Big and undisguised.
All they talk about’s summer
And how it’s the best.
Wonder how they’ll like
My new water-ski vest.
THE INSIDE STUFF
A jar that says PRUNES
Is full of dried plums,
A can of crushed toast bits
Is labeled BREAD CRUMBS.
A box of dried meat
Will be labeled JERKY,
A can of ground up beans
Is chock full of COFFEE.
While a containers contents
Are not always clear as day,
Before cracking a can of words
Best to know what they say.
THE GRAY SHAKE EXPRESS
On every other ride
of the Nantucket Rail
the caboose is the front
and the engine the tail,
When in a straight line it goes
then backs up straight,
Club cars of sightseers
and seafood, its freight.
So much saved steel!
All those safe dunes!
All the time saved to ‘Sconset
AND back by noon!
See Lighthouses, Windmills,
Cisco in your pail,
on the Commonwealth’s finest
The Nantucket Rail,
Like no other train,
it drives forward and back:
A steam-powered pendulum
Criss-crossing ACK.
KID WARNING
Caution: children
Are out on the loose
Boiling up ways
To deep fry your goose,
Everywhere lurking
Hiding scheming
Believing they’re harmless
Is crazytalk dreaming.
Caution: children
Prowling about
Quiet at songtime
At bedtime they shout,
Listening always
Except when you ask
Too busy plot hatching
To complete your task.
Caution: children
Don’t think they’re not smart
They’ll come for your wallet
And leave with your heart,
You cannot afford
to ignore the sign
Not if there’s 1 out there,
Let alone 9.
Whatever the number
They’re all worthy foes
How many are watching
Nobody knows,
So caution: children
When your spirit they’ve torn
Your body they’ve wearied
Don’t say you weren’t warned.
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FAVORITE TIME RHYME
THE ZEN HEN: On Staying Focused
In a weaving race
against three-thumbed pigs,
even a spider can finish last
if he over multi-tasks.
YOUR DAY
This day may be like
None ever before,
When a who-knows-what ceiling
For you is in store,
When a leap in the bay
From a motor boat side
Is only the start
Of your who-knows-where ride,
Today may be when
You write your first song,
A number so good it sounds good
On a gong!
You might tour a city,
Paint portraits pretty,
Learn who-knows-what game,
Write jokes that are witty,
Cook from a new page of your recipe book,
Decode that mistake you feared would stay mistook.
Just after that where next this day may go,
If you play your cards right, who-could-possibly know?
Maybe fishing with brother,
Or soccer with sis,
Or the last chapter of
“The Great Adventuress.”
Today’s who-knows-what ceiling
Is … well … who can say?
Only you because this
Is going to be your day.
FISHY STORY
In the crick by our house
It shimmers like glass
We’re gawn off to catch
Some Chilean Sea Bass
We swear that we’ve seen them
Sunning with koi
How reeling one in
Would be such a joy!
We’ll watch and we’ll wait
Prepared for the battle
With hand-crafted sea bass
Bait hooks and tackle
We’ll stay still and silent
So our bass won’t be scared
As he moseys up crick from
Far down the Delaware.
Then once he’s netted…
Can you picture it:
Our beautiful full color
Trophy portrait?!?
The whole gang all smiling
With our new pal from Chile
We’ll send a framed copy
To Mum-Mum in Philly
Or we’ll bring her some
When we’re back from the crick
When she tastes those filets
She’ll be so proud she’ll frick.
Don’t think we can’t do it
You take back your laughs.
We’re off on our bikes now
For Chilean Sea Bass.
RED ALERT
Money does not grow on trees,
No circus truly features fleas,
But believe this: for giving flack
This little box lets you talkback!
To your mother, to your dad,
Aunt Petunia, Uncle Thad.
Press this button and you’ll see
Talkback happens easily!
It fits in almost any pocket,
Wireless models need no socket,
Have super-charged rebuttal lips
Right there at your fingertips.
Just 19.95 it costs,
Such a steal to be the boss!
Get yours now, do not dare chintz:
Make the world your audience!
Will folks be angry, will they care?
Grow loud, throw hands, or sternly stare?
Well if your top speed is not HARE,
Let’s just say: buyer beware.
JOHNNY CORKFORBRAINS’ LOST CUP OF TEA
This morning Johnny Corkforbrains
Lost a cup of tea
He hasn’t got a clue
Where on Earth that it might be.
“It was so piping hot,” he thought,
“I had to set it down.
“I wouldn’t go and call it LOST.
“At the moment, it’s just unfound.”
He scoured the garage
Re-traced steps through den and potty,
In the office, in the kitchen,
Attic, bedroom, basement, pantry.
“I’m stumped,” John thought while wandering,
“Just where that cup might be —
“Wait.
“What’s this here?”
(He took a sip.)
“What luck!
I found iced tea!”
CUTTING OFF YOUR NOSE TO FEED YOUR FACE
My smeller may be broken
I cannot get a smell
Is that chicken noodle soup?
Or creme brulee?
I cannot tell.
My nose is on the fritz,
At least that’s what I think,
We drove past a manure farm
And I could sense no stink.
In fact it’s all non-scents,
No matter what I sniff,
The assembly line of my olfactory
Can’t make a whiff.
Whatever might be in the air
I can’t a bit detect
But if I may, those cookies in your hand….
Might I inspect?
They look delectable,
My eyes are Frisbee big.
Would I like one? Well I shouldn’t….
I don’t want to be a pig.
But maybe just a bite
A nibble, and another,
Wait! I can’t believe it ….
I think my nostrils tingled, brother!
Better take another cookie
They have the power to heal!
Every scrumptious crunchy byte
Makes my nosy muscles squeal!
What’s that – you’re out of cookies?
Now that they did the trick?
That’s a shame. Condolences.
At least my odor motor’s fixed.
Re-Seeding the Weeding
Standing in the window
We saw out in the yard
Dad crouching and appearing
To be thinking very hard.
Before him lay the lawn
Which he ran both his palms through
Then he stood and snapped his fingers
Like he knew just what to do.
“Kids, congratulations!”
he said walking in the door,
“to the list of gifts we’re blessed with,
go ahead and add one more:
That rug of yellow flowers
We always viewed with alarm,
Is now the answer to the question,
‘Where’s your dandelion farm?’
“How close I came to mowing it
How lucky that I stopped!
How fortunes may have turned
If I’d ploughed our major crop:
“No dandelion tinctures,
Lost dandelion greens,
Zero dandelion wine
Or dandelion diaper creams!
“It proves how working hard
instead of smart can be a pox.
Why battle dandelion growth
When we’ve got it outfoxed?
“Now please excuse me kids,
this here farmer has had SOME day,
the land can wear you down, you’ll learn,
if on our farm you stay!”
Chuckling loudly as he exited
Dad didn’t hear us sighing,
Or see us window-squinting,
Picturing farming dandelions.
OFF SWITCH ON
Not working is no crime
during Gooftime,
when doodling, napping,
or day-dreaming are fine.
Gooftime is for play
and a while each day,
it’s a lighthearted state
worth at least a brief stay.
So try it and see
how much happier you’ll be
once you begin to
take Gooftime seriously.
“PUSH IT REAL GOOD” – The Envelope of Gooftime (art by PaC). For more Gooftime art, check out this fabulous work by @sandeehjorth
WITH MY CAR WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN IN THE RAIN
The inside of my car is getting wet,
So I open an umbrella inside it,
I discover that it isn’t a great fit,
A convertible might be a better bet.
THE UMBRELLA CAR – (Drawing: PaC)
YOU CAN’T, LEAF!
You there, leaves,
Back on the trees!
You may NOT yet come down
And blanket the ground!
You must help us stall
The beginning of fall,
Because the end of summer
Would be such a bummer.
So up, up, you go
To those branches you know,
Back up in place,
This isn’t a race!
Then in one month feel free
To LEAP off the trees,
Right now I can’t take
The thought of a rake.
AUTUMNA NON GRATA – (Photo – PaC)
ON THE OTHER SIDE
I can see it there …
Just beyond the bus door …
Just down the bus stairs …
After just one stop more …
Hissing brakes
Lurching stop
Squeaky hinges
I stand at the top …
Then step step step, down I go,
When feet hit street it’s begun:
The summer, sweet summer, there it is, right there,
Just beyond the bus door, all that fun.
GRAINIACS
They have rice by the silo
Risotto by the truck
Without oatmeal or cornmeal
They’re never stuck.
Next to their quinoa
And rye piled high
They keep sorghum on hand
In mountains scraping the sky.
By a longshot there’s less
Pasta than Theirs in Italy
And certainly than Them
Ireland has less barley.
Maybe you think
They need granola?
About as much as
Coca needs Cola.
They are the Grainiacs
With more grains than you know
Now all they need is oceans
And oceans and oceans
(did I mention oceans?)
of water to make all those grains go.
NOT A SQUARE ANYWHERE
There was a block party
The Lincoln Logs hosted,
Being metal the Erector Set
Ran marshmallow roasting.
Like a social chair would
K’Nex networked non-stop,
The Magformers stuck together,
The Wood Letter Cubes did not.
The Megabloks, Nanobloks
And Kreos all came.
Jenga tried to sneak in again.
Why’s he so lame?
Often Bristle Blocks skip these things
But not this time:
They were chilling with Goldieblox,
Who, as usual, looked fine.
Typically they don’t
But the Play-Dohs got the invite,
But that wasn’t even
The big surprise of the night,
Which came when the Legos
Walked through the door
Their snap-on hair smooth
As they found the dance floor
Where they boogied down with
All the Playmobil ladies
When ‘New Kids on the Block’ played
The whole place went crazy.
Oh what a block party it was
It’s true,
Not a square anywhere,
And the Legos there, too.
SAND HASSLE
Go away birdies
leave me be,
I want to relax
here by the sea,
But your pecking is creepy
your breath smells like gill,
I want to sleep
and your cawing is shrill.
So go away birdies
go fly away,
there are no crackers here,
no reason to stay.
“Early Bird of Venice Beach” (Photo: PaC)
CAN’T BE LICKED
All day I could eat ice cream
Then still have more at night
To say there is a time I can’t eat ice cream
is not right.
That’s why in all my belt loops
I hook on sixteen spoons,
It’s why at my house there’s
Ten freezers in each room
And toppings stashed inside the pocket
Of each coat I own
And why I’m working on a way
To eat ice cream through my phone.
Ice cream may not be perfect
But it’s very very close
So to sundaes, cones, and chipwiches,
Let’s raise an ice cream toast.
BuccanAir
The Pilot Pirate
flies a peg-leg plane.
The Pilot Pirate
keeps booty on the brain.
The Pilot Pirate
has a sneaky parakeet,
who’d rather have an aisle
than a window seat.
The Pilot Pirate
navigates sea and air.
The Pilot Pirate
doesn’t have a care.
The Pilot Pirate
makes the world his lair,
soaring and swording
and ARRRR-ing everywhere.
The Pilot Pirate
wears an eye patch,
and when putting it on, yells,
“Batten down the hatch!”
The Pilot Pirate
goes fast but doesn’t run,
because swashbuckling sweaty
ruins the fun.
This photo first appeared on Instagram. For more like it, click here.
LIFETIME GUARANTEE
Sidewalk chalk and bubble wands
make for fun outside,
brightening the pavement
and soaping up the sky.
So if your Worry Drain’s backed up
on any given day,
get some colored chalk, a jug of suds,
go outside and play.
(Photo: PaC)
