John's Poem
When
John
stopped
going to Mrs Moore’s
he
went to
Our
Lady Of Lords
and
he learned how to
have
friends
Marcel
and
Tina
and
Michael Popplearse
and
how to have a drawing book.
Then
he learned writing
and
he drew pictures of his friends
and
underneath he wrote
I
like Tina in my tea
and
Marcel
is poosticks and a bum.
So
this is John’s poem really
I
don’t think he knew how to spell
Popplearse.
Lessons in Lego
Jess
was born
upstairs
with the door
shut
and Cousin Wyn
came to look
after us
downstairs.
And when she
had come
Cousin Wyn told
us
we could tiptoe
like mice
up the stairs
and see
our new baby
sister.
And Mum was
there
and Dad
and there was
this baby
in a black
carry cot
and Mum said
the baby
had brought us
things,
and if we put
our hands
in the bottom
end
of the carry
cot
we would find
the things
she had
brought.
I didn’t know
how a baby
could get to
the shops
but Mum said
I didn't need
to worry about
that.
And there were
things -
I got a little
box of lego,
blue lego
roof pieces.
It was all
right.
Then John
opened his box -
when I saw what
he got
fireworks
went off in my head
John got
little yellow
curved bits of lego
that made a
fantastic round tower
if you put them
all together.
Yellow bits
not blue.
Curved bits
not roof bits.
And they said
the baby
was called
Jessica Mary
and that she
was the baby now
and I had to be
her big brother
and teach her
things.
I thought I
should better teach her about
lego.
I expect Kate
got something too
but she was six
and I didn’t
want it
it was probably
a wet yourself dolly
or something.
Only a game
John
and I
dug
Jess a grave
in
the garden.
Dad
had been doing some digging
and
we asked if we could.
He
did not know
why
we were digging,
but
we dug a trench
then
mounded
up
the soil
as
if we had buried Jess there.
Then
we made a cross
out
of two bamboo poles
and
made a paper sign
with
Jessica
Baldwin
RIP
written
on it.
When
we told Mum
she
thought we were mean.
So
did Jess.
The
Russells
were
coming for tea
and
she said
don’t
let Ann Russell
see
our grave
she
might get upset
and
cry.
Ann
was seven
and
it was only a game.
So
John and me
we
went and
jumped
up and down
on
Jess’s grave.
