Visiting Grand-Children - Day 2

Henry's playing football, George is doing a show

While we take turns to watch them and the clock, which seems dead slow,

So out we go to Clambers to burn off the excess

Of energy, and leave our home to settle to the mess

Of jigsaws, trains and bedtime bears; of Thomas and Ben Ten

Hoping that when we come back it's time for bed again;

But of course it isn't and they're hungry even though

They'd chips and crisps and fruit-shoots to make their tummies glow.

A little girl is trying to bash Henry while he climbs

Into a mesh of balls and nets to bounce away the time

And George has made a little friend who shares a love of cars -

They've found they can go down the slide on them, although it jars

Against the edge and topples them in heaps upon the floor

But being three they giggle, jump back on and go for more,

While we sit on the couches, spread against the wall in twos

Like every other parent here just longing for the news

That it's time for In the Night Garden and so we ought to leave

Before they all get second wind and we lose the will to live.

Brian Hick December 29th 2009

©copyright Sally Hick December 2021