The perils of time on your hands

[Titus A Newt]

The perils of time on your hands

What can you do in three minutes?
Of course you’re going to say boil an egg
But have you thought you can also make a bed?
I know I’ve tried it.
Tie your shoes blind folded
Ok so it took me longer to tie the blindfold
Lay at the bottom of the stairs and pretend you’re dead
Make sure you’ve a little blood
Seeping from the corner of your eye
The downside is if no one cares
And just look at you and walk on by
All you can do it slink off to bed
And write a silly poem about it in your head

[Colin]

Great poem Titus, and a very good signature !
I guess we all think life is crap sometimes, and think its wonderful at other times !?

[Clare]

Like it Titus and makes me think, and Colin's comments.

Bad or Good.

Today my kids just drove me mad.
They're rankly stupid and plain bad !
To have brought them up is my great shame,
And I alone am all to blame.
Yet at times they seem so bright,
That clever thought and loving goodnight.
Maybe sometimes I read them wrong.
I might clear my head if I wrote a song ?
About love and hate and sun and rain,
Of life and death and life again.
But life's hard to live without a map,
And all I think is probably crap.

[Adam]

Hi Titus and Clare,

I loved both of your poems about kids - any more ?!

[John A Silkstone]

CHILD TALK

I wish I had a nana
With a lovely leller skin
I’d give it to my nelephant
Who’s looking very fin.

I feed him wif a napple
That I’d cut up into four
Then take him round to grocers
To stand at his front door.

We’d look at all the noranges
My new found friend and me
Then both go home to mover
To have an ice-cream tea.

[Clare]

Like your 'Childs Talk' John. Its title reminds me of a fact that I consider somewhat strange. When something is very easy it is said to be 'childs play' - but these days some of childrens play can be very complicated ! Have you tried some childrens computer games ?

[John A Silkstone]

Good Morning Clare,

No I've not tried the childrens games of today. I see the grandchildren playing them, and I don't think I have the skill. One of my daughters won't let her children play with their games untill they've all taken the dog for a walk by the river Trent. She says "No exercise. No Toys.

[Clare]

Yes John and today children need excercise as much as the dog !?

Grow Kids Grow.

Don't dull your brain with too much telly,
with crisps and sweets to swell your belly.
Have long walks and play football,
and eat well to be fit and grow tall.
And exercise your brain with books
to add wisdom to your good looks.
Then your life will turn out swell
and not the slobs life of hell.

[Colin]

Very good Clare, and a little addition ;

A tip for kids

Sport is healthy and is fun,
Kick a ball or have a run.
Your life will prosper if you think
and do not turn to drugs or drink !

[Adam]

These days it is easy for kids to go wrong, so one more bit on this ;

Pick Your Friends

My school friend says he's my best mate.
He says that he thinks I am great.
He lies and steals and skips school
And smokes and drinks and is a fool.
He sees no future, only whim
And thinks that I should be like him.
He always tells me that he's broke
But he is just a lying cheating bloke.
I guess that this I just must end
And find myself a good real friend ?

[GrimDad]

And,

Teacher Knows

Teacher knows a thing or two,
But knows nothing about you.
You may learn or waste time,
and teacher say you're doing fine.
You may find your young life tough,
And friends may say you've learnt enough.
But you'll only be a life go-getter
If you always try to learn better.

[Adam]

Or finally ;

Finger Paints and Crayons by Cheryl Costello-Forshey.

With chalk in hand she wrote her name across a board once bare
And then she sat behind her desk without a single care
And for fifteen minutes, she did not make a sound
Until the final student, had finally settled down
Then she stood before them, and told them all her name
And then politely asked, each student to do the same
Then without hesitation, she took papers from a sack
And placed them in two piles, one white, the other black
And deliberately quite slowly, with a slight, mischievous smile
She began handing out the papers, up and down each aisle
And once each student had a piece; she continued within their sights
To gather two piles of crayons, one black, the other white
And then she took a painting, from behind her walnut desk
Then placed a painter's smock, overtop her navy dress
And to no one in particular, she spoke in peaceful tones
"I've been working on this painting, for years in my own home."
She stood staring at the painting, its brilliant colors mixed as one
Upon a vast horizon, the presence of a sun
It indeed was not a Rembrandt, a Picasso, or Michelangelo to say the least
But it nonetheless was beautiful; its presence spoke of peace
And no doubt that lovely painting, had taken so much time
For every color known to man, seemed to intertwine
And so it came with wonder, what they witnessed with surprise
The act that took them all off guard, done right before their eyes
With finger paints now gathered, and opened on her desk
She smeared the colors upon her hands, in an entangled mess
And then as though she'd lost her mind, she smeared her hands across
The painting once so beautiful... now a total loss
It did not make a bit of sense, they did not understand
As they sat and watched their teacher, wipe the paints from off her hands
And then she took the crayons, and went up and down the rows
And handed to each student, the colors that she chose
"Now," she told her students, "I want you to create
A picture filled with beauty, devoid of any hate."
Mouths dropped open widely; mumbles filled the room
And students looked to one another, as unasked questions seemed to loom
For the students with white paper, were given crayons of the same shade
And the students with black crayons, had been given a raven-colored page
And how could one create splendor, with no colors to mix and match
The students were quite certain, their teacher had left out most the facts
"Teacher," a student's voice was heard, "I"m not so sure I can"
Staring at the white crayon, and the white paper in her hand
Silence overtook the room; it eerily crept about
Causing the teacher's gentle voice, to erupt into a shout
"You each share the same problem, you each possess the power to resolve
But only the students with open minds, will have the ability to solve."
Minutes ticked away, class was nearing to an end
And not one single student, knew quite how to begin
And when the bell rang out, and they hurried to their feet
Their teacher told them commandingly, to return back to their seat
"Before you leave this classroom, I think you each should know
For this assignment you receive a failing grade, for you have no work to show
And tomorrow and the next day, your assignment shall be the same
And those who fail my class, will only have themselves to blame."
The next day and the following, students weren't quite sure what to do
Until at last, a solution, began to surface through
When one student with his crayon, and paper both in black
Turned to the student behind him and asked, "May I borrow that?"
The student hesitated, but then gave up his crayon made of white
And ultimately the assignment, no longer seemed a plight
For students all throughout the class, switched crayons up and down the aisles
And certain that they'd found the solution, their faces lit with smiles
And just as every student began to draw, across an empty page
The teacher whom they'd began, to see as certainly quite strange
Collected all the pages and crayons, without a single mark
And then spoke aloud, "Thank you, for bringing hope into my heart
You see, I wanted you to realize, that in order to create
A picture filled with beauty, devoid of any hate
You needed first to recognize, that a problem did exist
And that a practical solution, could be found within your midst
And that racism is a problem, each of us must face
Working all as one, before it's much too late
And with open eyes and open hearts, we must see the person, not the color of their skin
And come to the understanding, that racism has to end
For together we are family, we cry tears, we all feel pain
And though we may not look the part, that's exactly what we do
For crayons are just colors, that's all our skin is, too."
Students looked about the room, a variety of colors on their skin
As the point she was trying to make, began to settle in
The looks upon their faces, readily explained
That they each were trying to comtemplate: that indeed they were the same
A nervous shuffling of papers, and coughs throughout the room
Portraying the vital image, that fighting over crayons was a stupid thing to do
It was then that each student realized, the purpose of crayons and papers the same shade
Was to prove they needed the other color, to help fill their empty page
Silence seized the moment, as one student raised his open hand
And then spoke in hesitation, "I just don't understand...
Why you took your painting, the one you seemed to enjoy so very much
Gathered up your finger paints, to destroy it in a touch."
Sadness filled her face, as a tear trailed upon her cheek
And in slow and heartfelt words, she began to speak
"To show you each that colors can be beautiful, but they can also destroy
Everything we love and work for, everything we each enjoy
And the destruction of something that I loved, was to make a point to you
That racism destroys the beauty in us all,
And that fighting over colors, is a destructive thing to do."