Jack Opie .. Playwright

Poems

Examples below

POEMS FOR KIDS

WHY TOILET CLEANSERS ARE BLUE
Black says let’s hide
Away in the night.
And white says let’s show
All spots in the light.
Yellow’s for wee,
And brown is for poo -
Red is for blood -
But blue is just blue.
Blue for the sea,
Blue for the sky
Blue for the cornflower -
Perhaps that is why.

BREATHES THERE A MAN
Breathes there a man with soul so black
Who never said alas, alack
I think I’ll pay an income tack?
Breathes there a man in years so green
Who never thought a thing obscene
Or said a thing that’s rather mean?
Breathes there a man with soul so pink
Who never to himself did think
"Was that me who made that stink"?
Breathes there a man with soul so blue
Who never to himself did rue
The day he met a dope like you?
Breathes there a man with soul so grey
Who never to himself did say
"It has been rather nice today"?
Breathes there a man with soul so red
Who never to himself has said
"It’s better here than being dead"?
Breathes there a man with soul so yeller,
Who never saw his wife, to tell her
"If he flirts with you, I’ll thump that feller"?
Breathes there a man with soul sublime
Who never said "Why take the time
To end up with the perfect rhyme,
When near enough will do just fine"?

LULLABY
(Counting song or lullaby, for little daughters of any name, to the tune of "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night")
Depending on the number of syllables in the name, alternative first lines are, for example:

4 syllables: I love my sweet Penelope
3    " "      I love my little Angela
2    " "        I love sweet Helen, she’s the best
1    " "      I love my darling little Jo

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores one out of one
I love her when she’s reading books
Or when she’s having fun.

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores two out of two
And if you knew that little girl
Like I do, so would you..

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores three out of three
And if you knew her like I do
You wouldn’t disagree.

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores four out of four
I love it when she’s home from school
And runs in through the door.

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores five out of five,
And every time I see her face
I’m glad to be alive.

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores six out of six
I love her when she’s playing games
And when she’s playing tricks.

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores a perfect seven
And when she laughs and smiles with me
I know she comes from Heaven.

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores eight out of eight,
And love it when she’s er-early
And even when she’s late.

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores nine out of nine,
I love her for just being her -
Not just because she’s mine.

I love my sweet Penelope
She scores ten out of ten,
If she’s not fast asleep by now
I’ll sing it once again.

TIMID
I’m as timid as a mouse -
I won’t step outside the house
In case I meet a growly dog
Or stand in poo, or squash a frog,
Or meet some kid who’ll pick on me,
And make my day a misery.
Or get run over by a bike,
Or knocked down by a lightning strike
Or climb a hill and get a stitch
Or come home with an awful itch.
I’ll stay at home and watch TV
And pray the world won’t come to me.

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Full list of poems - under construction