Miscellaneous - Kids

  by Spencer Robertshaw

published: 6 / 9 / 2010

intro

In the latest in his regular monthly poetry column 'Evidently Spencertown', Spencer Robertshaw writes about parenthood in 'Kids'

They're here and then they're gone They can’t do anything wrong Water on a magic painting Led Zeppelin with the swan song Makes cardboard taste like manna Black and white into colour A horror film into hammer A full glass even fuller Tinnitus into sweet song Pain is almost gone Cold chips a gourmet delight Big knickers into a thong All hollow when they’ve gone Rainbow into mud Pin drop deafening gong Tiptoe to clumsy thud What a difference their way makes 24 rainbow showers What a difference their stay makes Please turn seconds to hours Count the time they're not there Keeps us going till the next It hurts so much to care Every parent feels this text Our children are a gift Time seems to fly on by Nothing ever plugs the rift Foolish to even try We suddenly realise Why we sent our parents mad The innocence of youth Best time we never had