Indigestion

Our baby brother screamed
and screamed last night.

Daddy said his tummy
is still settling,
he is only three weeks
old, his tummy is rock
solid and very sore.

Claire kept waking up coughing
and going to see Daddy.
Mummy says she caught
the virus because she
is still new at school.

The baby keeps sleeping
when he’s feeding today and
has to feed again later.
Mummy brought the washing in
but it is still in piles
around the living room.

Daddy came home and went
to start our bath but Chloe
was most upset at not finishing
her homework, so he heard
her read and checked her maths.
Then he ran our bath.

Mummy started cooking dinner
but the baby cried again.
Daddy got dinner on the table
after our bath but we
didn’t talk at dinner
like we usually do.

Mummy is sure we will all
sleep much more tonight.
We are nearly asleep already
at the dinner table.

Baby Present

Opening presents is wonderful fun.
At Christmas we were given
gel pens, pencil cases, DVD’s, books,
a Cinderella dress, a T-Ball set,
and other wonderful toys.

For her birthday Claire was given
a brand new school bag
with Russian dolls printed on it,
an insects book, a threading bead set.
and other wonderful toys.

Wrapping paper, ribbons, bows,
and beautiful cards. It’s so
exciting opening presents.

Auntie Jo looked after us
when we came home from school.
Mummy said we could
open her present for our
two day old baby brother.

We tore off the pretty paper,
opened the box – and stared !
What has she done ?  A truck !
“It’s for a boy,” said Auntie Jo.
“It doesn’t do anything !”
“It’s for a toddler,” said Auntie Jo.

Next morning Claire woke early
as usual and found that
pushing a truck across the carpet
is wonderful fun.
Chloe enjoyed it too.

Cottages

Strange little cottages
like a child’s picture,
strange little boxes.
Front door in the centre,
a window either side,
a step up to the front door,
a step up to the side.

Kitchen, laundry, bath
in the lean to on the back,
back door at the centre,
tiny windows each side.

The higgledy piggledy patchworks
of windows along the sides
were jabbed in by the farmer
for his workers’ families.

Three little cottages
built in a paddock
now surrounded by the town
that flowed down the road
over the farm
like an incoming tide
surging up the sand.