Josie Whitehead’s Poems
I remember with pleasure my childhood. We had very few toys, during the war years, but we had what money can’t buy – time and freedom. We were free to wander the lanes, play int he fields and woods, throw pieces of straw or bits of wood into a stream and see whose “boat” would reach a certain place first of all. Well, we did get very dirty and tired, and I remember how we knocked down all the haystacks in the farmer’s field and spent the evening putting them all back upright – so I guess we were “little devils” too.
Ooooh! You Little Devil, You!
By Josie Whitehead
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“Oooh, you little devil, you!” said Granny:
You’ve taken my biscuits and hidden my shoes
You’ve fallen downstairs and you’ve got a bad bruise.
You ate too much ice-cream and now you are sick.
Then you ran away with my walking stick.
You’ve become overtired but won’t go to bed.
You cut your hand yesterday – and oh, how it bled.
You made me a picture, but that’s surely not me?
That person’s ugly, while Granny’s lovely, you see.
When I turned my back, you ran off down the road.
Then I found under my table a cold, slimy toad.
You left what I’d cooked but then asked for a sweet – and
What’s this filthy thing you’ve picked up from the street?
You started the day with dry clothes, but, now look!
They’re dirty and wet where you’ve played in the brook.
But, how can I scold you, when you’ve had a good day?
It’s what we did, when children, so I guess it’s Okay!
Copyright 2007