Poems on Pitara Kids Network

How Many Greens?

Thu, 22 May 2003 08:39:03 +0000

How many greens are there in the park?
Can we count them – one by one?

There’s the light, light green of
the tender little grass
I would like this green
For the walls of my house!

There’s the darker green of the older plants
that have flowered for many years
I would like to have them as friends
For the numerous stories they can tell.

And there’s the darkest green of them all
In trees majestic and strong
They hold up the sky and protect the earth
You see, they are the oldest of them all.

Flower on the Road

Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:23:55 +0000

Spring has come,
said the bougainvillea
Crimson, orange, cream
and yellow
Making a flower wall
along the road
I bring happiness
to all.
Wait, said the
little flower
on the edge of the kerb
I, too, blossom
though I am small
Every now and then
a little child walks past,
sees me
at her height
And happily smiles.
Doesn’t that make us comrades
on the road!

Flower on the Road

Roadside Locksmith

Fri, 05 Oct 2001 19:02:02 +0000

The locksmith sits on the roadside
with his wares

A tilted black umbrella blocks
the sun’s glare

A mountain of master keys
heaped on the ground

Some dull, some old
Some rusty, some gold

The locksmith has the answer
to every locked door
That can’t be opened because
the key’s not there

And if you have a key that is
lonely and lost

Don’t worry, don’t fret
Don’t be sad, don’t despair

Do You Like Fruits?

Wed, 01 Aug 2001 14:23:37 +0000

Apples in the winter time
Chikoos in the fall
Mangoes in the summer time
I like it best of all!

Oranges and kinnows bright
Sugar-cane so sweet
Melons and the juicy grape
All of them – a treat!

The Potter

Tue, 03 Sep 2002 13:50:44 +0000

The summer sun smiles a scorching smile
The smile sends shivers
through the stoutest hearts
A summer smile is reason to sweat
But the potter’s back with his cool lifeline!

Earthen pots of every size
Are piled under a tarpaulin sky
Waiting to find new homes
And soothe thirsty throats!

Their water has a magical taste –
The sweet smell of wet earth
Or soil that comes alive after
The first seasonal shower!

Some pots are small, like a baby’s song
Some are round – a perfect ‘O’
Some are tall with slender necks
Like a curious gazelle looking ahead!

If I Could Fly

Tue, 11 Aug 1998 14:58:33 +0000

If I had a pair of wings, with which to fly,
I’d soar straight away, up into the sky.

I’d carry a brush,
and paints in colours bright,
So I could paint
every fluffy cloud in sight!

I’d paint them purple
and yellow and green-
They’d be the prettiest
you’ve ever seen!

I’d paint rainbows in the sky
every single day,
So I can watch them
when I work and play.

And when the moon and
stars come out at night-

If You Were

Mon, 24 Mar 2003 14:48:10 +0000

If you were busy being kind,
Before you knew it, you would find
You’d soon forget to think ’twas true
That someone was unkind to you.

If you were busy being glad,
And cheering people who are sad,
Although your heart might ache a bit,
You’d soon forget to notice it.

If you were busy being good,
And doing just the best you could,
You’d not have time to blame some man
Who’s just doing the best he can.

My Garden

Sat, 06 Jan 2001 17:15:59 +0000

There’s a garden in my house
A garden full of flowers
I love to be there all the time
And spend just hours and hours

There are roses, every kind
And lilies in the pool
Sunflowers looking trim and bright
And jasmines white and cool.

There’s a lawn of velvet grass
So soft and oh so green
Like a carpet beneath my feet
The nicest I have seen.

Kindness to Animals

Tue, 18 May 1999 16:30:32 +0000

Little children, never give
Pain to things that feel and live;

Let the gentle robin come
For the crumbs you save at home;
As his meat you throw along
He’ll repay you with a song.

Never hurt the timid hare
Peeping from her green grass lair,
Let her come and sport and play
On the lawn at close of day.

The little lark goes soaring high
To the bright windows of the sky,
Singing as if t’were always spring,
And fluttering on an untired wing –

My Dream (A Vision Of Peace)

Sat, 03 Aug 2002 20:42:44 +0000

Where the mountains touch the sky

Where poets DREAM, where eagles fly

A secret place above the crowd

Just beneath a silver-lined cloud.

Lift your eyes to a snowy peak

And see the soon-to-be we seek

Whisper DREAMS and let them rise

To the mountains old and wise.

Climbers climb, it’s time to try

Where the mountains touch the sky
Take me there. Oh take me now…

Someway, Someday, Somewhere, Somehow!

Where the ocean meets the sky

The Eagle’s Tale

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 23:11:31 +0000

Did you hear the wind
sigh
As it brushed past the neem tree
high?

The wind met an eagle ready to
cry
What’s the matter?
Smile – at least
try.
Said the wind to the eagle

I’ve hurt my wings, I can’t
fly
That’s why I’m ready to
cry

Said the eagle to the wind

Is that all? What are we here for
Said the neem and the wind with a
smile

The Sparrow's Nest

Sun, 22 Dec 2002 22:29:26 +0000

Oh, why does the sparrow
build a nest in the rain?

Won’t the downpour
wash the nest away?
Asked the child, to her grandmother.

Monsoon is a time
when there are
lots of worms,
and that means food
for the little ones!

That’s why sparrows build
a nest in the rain,
said the grandmother with a smile

Milk! Milk! Milk!

Thu, 16 Aug 2001 04:14:26 +0000

Morning, afternoon, evening, night
Kappu wants milk all the time
He drinks six bottles in a day
And always feels contented and gay.

Bananas and biscuits mashed in milk
Are things that Kappu loves to drink
As soon as he finishes drinking a bowl
His mommy gives a kiss on his nose.

Cypress Street

Sat, 14 Sep 2002 18:12:12 +0000

I took a stroll down Cypress Street
The hot sidewalk beneath my feet.

The one thing that stood out the most
Where trees once stood there were lamppost.

I’d never seen so much concrete
No Cypress left on Cypress Street.

According to my Great Aunt Gem
There used to be a lot of them.

They cut them down. They took their wood
A treeless street is plum no good!

Just like a treeless neighborhood

So tell the Mayor next time they meet…
To change the name to Lamppost Street!

Parrots in My Garden

Wed, 29 Aug 2001 10:57:26 +0000

When it’s early morning
Before it’s really light
A flock of parrots flies across
Looking trim and bright

They swoop down on the juicy grams
Which I love to throw
They are not afraid of me
The way they come and go!

Soon my lawn is clean and clear
Of every little grain

And then the parrots leave the place
To fly back once again.

Young Poets

Tue, 29 Jan 2002 18:35:28 +0000

Todd-Michael St. Pierre writes poems, songs and plays for children. He is a storyteller at schools throughout the southern United States. Among his published works are ‘Somewhere: As Told By Garrett The Parrot’ and ‘The Louisiana State Bird Beauty Pageant’. ‘Young Poets’ is part of a collection, ‘A Treehouse On The Moon’, to be published soon, along with other works such as ‘The Prince Of Nonsense: Silly Poems4Kids’ and ‘Put The People In A Zoo And Set The Animals Free: Poems4Kids To Read Out Loud’. St Pierre lives in St. Francisville, Louisiana, with his two Siamese twin cats.

Have You Seen the Cuckoo Bird?

Fri, 23 Jun 2000 21:27:22 +0000

Have you seen the cuckoo bird
With raven-coloured wing?
Although I haven’t seen one yet
I’ve often heard her sing.

The cuckoo on our champak tree
Is hidden from our sight
Because the leaves are thick and close
But how she sings at night!

‘Cuckoo… cuckoo’ says the bird
‘I may be dark, it’s true
But there is not a single bird
That sings the way I do!’

The Day Everything Went Wrong

Sun, 10 Jun 2001 16:08:34 +0000

On that day everything went wrong,

I fell on the ground with a “BONG”!

I hurt my elbows and knees

And misplaced my cupboard keys.

I dreamt of a horrible ghost,

At breakfast I burnt my toast.

I couldn’t find my tie, I couldn’t find my shirt

And when I did find it, it was covered in dirt!

I came to know, when I heard the clock’s chime

Roses

Mon, 21 Aug 2000 15:52:13 +0000

Roses in the winter time
Roses in the fall
The roses in my garden
Are the nicest of them all

Some prefer the jasmines
The champaks on the tree
Or the lilies in the pool
But it’s the rose for me!

The wild roses climbing up the wall
Which hang in clusters white
The sprawling bush of roses pink
Which looks so trim and bright

Treehuggers

Sun, 27 Jan 2002 05:51:43 +0000

Children of the fragile forest gather around
Where bird song seems to be the loudest sound

A place called Summer, green as you could please
A place where we all proudly hug the trees.

Hug trees for the walnuts and sweet apples
For the shade above small country chapels

For giving squirrel and crow a place to live
For the priceless gift of oxygen they give.

Koel

Thu, 21 Dec 2000 07:56:24 +0000

When wisps of white
Sail across the sky
When the breeze blows warm
And the days grow long
From somewhere in the distance
You can hear my song
Coo-ooo, Coo-ooo Coo-oooo

When mangoes ripen
In the dark green trees
And hovering around
Are busy buzzy bees
Right over the wall
You can hear my call
Coo-o, Coo-oo, Cooo-ooo

When plump wild figs
Go squish under your feet
And juicy purple jamuns
Are munched by parakeets

Haroo, the Croc

Wed, 19 Sep 2001 13:49:34 +0000

Here’s a lazy crocodile
Snoozing on the bank
He is quick at catching prey
So do keep off his tank!

His skin is rough, his teeth so sharp
And he is moody too
So don’t annoy or throw him stones
And take care what you do!

Don't Throw the Seeds Away...

Thu, 26 Sep 1996 05:37:11 +0000

It makes you healthy,
It gives you energy,
An apple or a guava
An orange or a papaya
Eat a fruit everyday
But don’t throw the seeds away.

Here’s a simple thing you can do
You could tell all your friends too!
Plant the seed in the soil
(It doesn’t take much time or toil)
Pour a little water there
A young shoot will soon appear.

In time it’ll become a big tree –
Which gives so much to you and me!
This way there’ll be forests again
Green and clean our earth will remain.

The Jungle

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 07:49:41 +0000

Far away in the jungles
where the green grass grows,
lived families of mynas
their nest in rows.

They were friends and foes
who played and fought for fun.
But when it came to the enemy
they stood together as one.

One morning they were surprised
a strange creature there to find.
Loud, noisy with strange scary ways
a being like that…seemed a ferocious kind.

Sparrows

Tue, 11 Jan 2000 00:17:09 +0000

Sparrows on the mango tree
Sparrows on the grass
Sparrows on the windowsill
And on my looking glass!

Sparrows on the gravel path
And on the garden chair
Sparrows by the lily-pool
You find them everywhere!

The Fleeting Deer

Thu, 05 Jul 2001 21:52:18 +0000

The deer runs fast
With nimble feet
By lucky chance
You may just meet!

Sweet deer, do pause
Beneath the tree-
Won’t you please
Make friends with me?

Five Little Chickens

Thu, 08 Jun 2000 15:56:15 +0000

Said the first little chicken,
With a queer little squirm,
“Oh, I wish I could find
A fat little worm!”

Said the next little chicken,
With an odd little shrug,
“Oh, I wish I could find
A fat little bug!”

Said the third little chicken,
With a sharp little squeal,

“Oh, I wish I could find
Some nice yellow meal!”

Said the fourth little chicken,
With a faint little moan,
“Oh, I wish I could find
A green little leaf!”

Count that Day Lost

Thu, 29 Aug 2002 10:16:30 +0000

If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done,
And, counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard,
One glance most kind
That fell like sunshine where it went –
Then you may count that day well spent

But if, though all the livelong day,
You’ve cheered no heart, by yea or nay –

If, through it all
You’ve nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face –
No act most small

The Pigeon Party

Sat, 01 Dec 2001 21:49:44 +0000

Twenty noisy
pigeons
Had a party
last night

Noisy Pigeon Party [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The last egg
Had hatched
The youngest one
Was OUT!

The last egg had hatched [Illustration by Shinod AP]

They rocked on
the TV wires
looked the kitten
In the eye

Sunflowers

Fri, 05 Jan 2001 01:03:05 +0000

Sunflower, sunflower, I love you
You look so gay and bright

Sunflower, sunflower, I love you
You make me think of light

When I see your cheerful face
I want to dance and sing

Sunflower, sunflower I love you
You make me think of spring!

Sunday with Dad

Sun, 17 Jun 2001 14:35:49 +0000

A Sunday is so typical
when Dad is around
The morning starts
With a loud TV sound.

One groan from my sister
and another from me
Doesn’t melt his heart
To let us sleep for a minute or three.

Mom tries to catch up
On her wee bit of sleep
For she knows Dad is there
To make a cup of tea.

But once we are all up
It all seems so bright
For that’s the only day
When Dad has all the time.

Opposite

Wed, 19 May 1999 09:18:48 +0000

If everything was opposite

Why, less would be more.
The poor will be rich
And the rich will be poor.

Aeroplanes fly underground
Ships sail up in the sky.
Two will be single
One will be a pair.

The tortoise, runs fast
The hare, runs slow.
The green light means stop
The red light means go.

If things were opposite
I would be you
And you would be me.

Opposite [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

The Song of the Bee

Thu, 03 Jun 1999 22:15:56 +0000

Buzz! buzz! buzz!
This is the song of the bee.
His legs are yellow;
A jolly, good fellow,
And yet a great worker is he.

In days that are sunny
He’s getting his honey,
In days that are cloudy
He’s making his wax:
On pinks and on lilies,
And gay daffodillies,
And columbine blossoms,
He levies a tax!

Buzz! buzz! buzz!
The sweet-smelling clover,
He, humming, hangs over;
The scent of the roses
Makes fragrant his wings:
He never gets lazy;

Upside Down

Sun, 08 Nov 1998 16:30:34 +0000

I lived in a funny town
Where everything was upside down!

The birds walked and the humans flew
Where the trees were totally blue!

Upside Down [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

Trees talked and laughed a lot
They stole each other’s fruit and fought

The bear was gentle, kind and sweet
He never ever ate raw meat!

Fishes went to school in a pool
Where a frog principal ruled!

Work while You Work

Sat, 10 Feb 2001 20:27:07 +0000

Work while you work,

Play while you play;

One thing each time,

All that you do,

Do with your might;

Things done by halves

Are not done right

Jumbo House

Sat, 15 Dec 2001 08:20:54 +0000

Quick, quick, quick
Lay a brick, brick, brick
Make it stick stick stick.

You know whose house it is?
Of Jumbo the kid, kid, kid
That’s why it’s so big, big, big.

Do you know what will happen IF
even one brick comes loose – and
Jumbo trips on that brick?

Jumbo House [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Jumbo will take apart every

Try, Try Again

Tue, 03 Nov 1998 21:12:18 +0000

‘Tis a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again;

If at first you don’t succeed,

Try, try again;
Then your courage should appear,

For, if you will persevere,

You will conquer, never fear;

Try, try again

Little Blue Daisies

Sat, 29 Sep 2001 19:34:09 +0000

Little blue daisies

in my flowerbed
First came the ladybird
red red red
Fly away ladybird
said the daisy blue
Poor little ladybird flew flew flew

Then came the grasshopper
green green green
He hid in the leaves
not to be seen
Hop away grasshopper,
said the daisy blue
Poor little grasshopper
Went hop, hop hop

Third came the bumblebee
black black black
Humming to himself
a brand new song
Fly away bumblebee, said

Over in the Meadow

Fri, 30 Mar 2001 13:19:14 +0000

Over in the meadow,
In the sand, in the sun,
Lived an old mother toad
And her little toadie one.

“Wink,” said the mother;
“I wink,” said the one;
So she winked and blinked
In the sand, in the sun.

Over in the meadow,
Where the stream runs blue,
Lived an old mother fish
And her little fishes two.

“Swim,” said the mother;
“We swim,” said the two;
So they swam and they leaped
Where the stream runs blue.

The Bridge Builder

Sun, 07 Mar 1999 20:09:16 +0000

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,“said a fellow pilgrim, near,
“You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide –

Oh, Summer!

Sat, 07 Jul 2001 20:41:53 +0000

Summer can be killing
but it can also be fun
the trick is to stay cool
despite the hot, hot sun.

Oh, Summer! [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Think of iced lemonade in a pitcher
cold ice-creams and kulfis
of the fruit salads mother makes
with melons, bananas and berries.

Summer is sultry hot days
and sudden evening showers
when the night air is sweetened
with the fragrance of jasmine flowers.

Tiger King

Sun, 25 Feb 2001 04:51:18 +0000

Oh tiger, you’re so regal
Majestic and tall
With your bright and stripe-y coat
You look the king of all!

Oh tiger, you’re so handsome
Your cubs are lovely too
They say, the cat’s an aunt of yours-
Do tell me, is this true?

Passing by My School Garden

Tue, 09 Nov 1999 05:17:32 +0000

How I wish I could step into this garden
Just a temptation as I pass by
I wanted to know what the flowers said
And the gentle murmur of the wind in the sky.

My heart swayed with happiness
As I watched the upright poppies
The wind whistled while kissing the trees
And the jolly gardener watered them happily.

Perhaps the leaves so green, were busy
Preparing tasty dishes for the family!
The sweet smelling fragrance of that lovely environment
Got to my nostrils and tickled my mind.

The Silly Cricket

Wed, 15 Nov 2000 13:38:02 +0000

A silly young cricket
Sat on a wicket
Singing all summer long

He strummed his guitar
And danced all the while
Other creatures were busy
Gathering their pile

Soon winter came
And he began to complain
For he hadn’t a morsel to nibble on.

So off he went
In the wind and rain

To the little black ants
For a mouthful of grain.

The Fearless Rhino

Tue, 16 Jan 2001 00:37:29 +0000

The rhino looks so fierce and strong
He has a pointed spear
His skin is rough and oh so tough
He knows not what is fear!

Do you want to meet him too?
Go eastward – if you care
Kaziranga is the name
You’re sure to find him there!

Swinging Monkey

Sat, 03 Feb 2001 02:50:21 +0000

Look up there
And you will see
The monkeys swinging
From the tree

I like the way
They jump and flee –
Now, do they want
Some nuts from me?

The Cat and the Cartoon

Sat, 07 Jul 2001 16:30:48 +0000

The mouse in the movie came out of the hole
The cat watching the TV gave a low growl
There were no more mice in the house
She had seen to that
Cartoons are so cruel,
the tabby thought
Why should they make me dream of
the meals I no more have?

The Cat and the Cartoon [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Mr Meant-to

Wed, 22 Mar 2000 18:37:15 +0000

Mr Meant-to has a comrade,
And his name is Didn’t-do;
Have you ever chanced to meet them?
Did they ever call on you?

These two fellows live together
In the house of Never-win,
And I’m told that it is haunted,
By the ghost of Might-have-been.

Message in the bottle

Fri, 21 Sep 2001 16:09:13 +0000

I watched the tide
From my little house
by the seaside
I didn’t have to wait long
to find what the waves
had brought along

a bottle with a message in it,
it looked like a message, at least
I ran to pick up the bottle
And took out from it a coiled paper

As I smoothened it,
And peered deep

The yellowing paper came apart
at my touch
Before my eyes the writing smudged
As I wept

The Shop at the Corner

Sat, 03 Feb 2001 11:59:14 +0000

Butter and bread,
Needle and thread;
Sweets and candy,
Yellow and red.

Ice-creams, chocolates,
Bells that ring;
Music – which you’d
Love to sing.

Books and biscuits,
Dolls and toys;
I keep them all,
For girls and boys!

A Cat’s Nightmare

Mon, 22 Oct 2001 01:22:36 +0000

The cat woke up
with a beating heart

She had just had a
terrible nightmare.

A little rat
had pulled
her whiskers
and called her
‘Friend Cat!’

A Cat’s Nightmare [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The Naughty Baby Monkey

Tue, 26 Jun 2001 08:54:14 +0000

A mama and a baby monkey
Lived high up on a mango tree
The mama was kind
But the baby’s mind..
Dear! Oh Dear!
Oh! Dear, Dear Me.

One bright sunny day
The baby monkey ran away.
The mama despaired
Scratched all her hair
Dear! Oh Dear!
Oh! Dear, Dear Me

The mama searched the forest through
Everywhere for baby Babloo.
Near the forest edge,
Where grew a berry hedge,
Dear! Oh Dear!
Oh! Dear, Dear Me.

The Flies and the Honey Pot

Tue, 11 Jul 2000 13:57:58 +0000

A jar of honey chanced to spill
Its contents on the windowsill
In many a viscous pool and rill

The flies, attracted by the sweet,
Began so greedily to eat,
They smeared their fragile wings and feet.

With many a twitch and pull in vain
They gasped to get away again,
And died in aromatic pain.

Dog Dream

Sun, 17 Jun 2001 03:23:22 +0000

The dog was spread out
like a mat on the floor

His tongue hanging out
for water chilled and cool

Dreaming of icy lands
Made his mouth water

The fly swooped down and
made away with the drop!

The dog’s learnt his lesson
He’s become a smart guy

He dreams lovely dreams
With his mouth closed!

Dog Dream [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Pardon My Garden

Mon, 25 Nov 1996 20:41:45 +0000

Pardon my garden, it’s vicious today!
The cucumber’s going quite mad —
The onions and peas
Just do as they please,
The pumpkin is awfully bad.
The squash and the sprout are rushing about
As if they’re preparing for war,
I just got a scare from a peach and a pear —
The apple is vile to the core!

Pardon my garden, it’s vicious today!
There’s tori-chori below.
The corn and the bean are having a scene —
That ghia just nibbled my toe!
That tomato and grape are aping an ape
And heading this way with a skewer —

Jaipur: Sawai Jai Singh's Golden Dream

Sat, 02 Jan 1999 16:12:53 +0000

The only planned city of its time,
Built by Sawai Jai Singh in his prime,
Constructed with pink sandstones pretty,
It’s our own Jaipur city.

It was the emperor’s vision,
It was Jai Singh’s dream and ambition,
constructed in the beautiful nine-grid pattern,
one for each planet, Mercury to Saturn.
The Jantar Mantar of astronomical size,
Is really Jaipur’s finest prize.

And the Hawa Mahal which represents Shri Krishna’s crown,
Is the pride of Jaipur town.

Naughty Kit

Mon, 29 Jan 2001 12:39:57 +0000

Minty is a naughty kit
Tell her ‘stand’ – she’s sure to sit
She laps up milk without a trace
But give her curds, she’ll turn her face!

Minty is a naughty kit
Tell her ‘come’ and she’ll just quit
Tell her ‘Run!’ – she’ll sleep all day
Call her – and she’ll run away!

The Squeaky Squirrel

Mon, 23 Jul 2001 23:02:39 +0000

Squeaky squirrel is a little sad
His bushy tail is looking bad
Once it was a shiny one
Then someone used it
As a baby’s bottlebrush!

But he likes the baby
So he’s no longer sad
The baby’s mother has
promised him a good bath!

Fluff, the Cat

Sat, 16 Jun 2001 09:16:35 +0000

Fluff, the cat is my own pet
She’s cuddle-y and so soft
She loves to feast on fish and milk
And snooze upon the loft.

Fluff is bright and really smart
And so alert all day
When she prowls around the house
The mice just run away!

Fluff, the Cat [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Summer fan

Fri, 16 Nov 2001 19:40:57 +0000

The fan turns slow
On a hot airless night
Like a bird without wings
That has forgotten to fly.

I look closely
What a surprise!
There are beads of sweat
On the fan blades as well.

The cooler and the cooled
Are in the same state
It’s going to be a tough summer
At this rate.

Summer fan [Illustration by Shinod AP]

A Roaring Shame

Thu, 19 Nov 1998 15:38:08 +0000

Once upon a jungle
In a land not far away

There was an awful bungle
In a den where lions lay.
There were two mighty
lions…
I’ve made a mistake there…
One was a mighty lioness,
Now, that’s being right and fair.

These two awesome beasties
Were parents fond and proud
Of a litter of loitering lion cubs
That called out clear and loud.

A Roaring Shame [Illustration by Paramita Kar]

The lion cubs, they grew on,
And soon they lost their mew,
All but the strongest, oldest son.

Kappu has a Bath

Sat, 24 Nov 2001 19:31:56 +0000

Kappu maharaj sat in a tub
Splashing water left, right and above
Papa sat rubbing his legs
While Mama poured water on the head.

Together they wrapped
Their baby in a towel
One dried his hair
And the other gave him a massage.

Rip my Puppy

Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:37:39 +0000

Rip my puppy is so smart
He loves a bounce-y ball
I love to see him run and jump
And rush back at my call!

I miss him so when I’m at school
And Rip is far away
He jumps with joy when I return
And we rush off to play.

You Musn't Quit

Wed, 31 May 2000 18:37:54 +0000

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must – but never quit.

Life is queer, with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he’d stuck it out;
Stick to your task, thought he pace seems slow-
You may succeed with one more blow.

The White Flowers

Wed, 31 Jan 2001 09:13:22 +0000

I love the snow-white jasmines
I love the tube rose too

The champaks are so lovely
I’ll share them all with you!

They do not boast of colours
They are not bright to see

But they fill the place with fragrance
And bloom for you and me!

The Spider on the Wall

Sun, 18 Feb 2001 21:26:20 +0000

Spider, spider on the wall

Some are big and some are small

In their web they quietly lie

And pounce upon the moving fly!

The Plant at the Crossing

Thu, 22 Nov 2001 06:14:05 +0000

At a crowded crossing
I saw a brave new
recruit
to stem the environmental
rot

A tiny young
plant
transplanted in a
metal cage
took the exhaust of buses, trucks, cars
and scooters
full blast

The rate of wilting will
indicate pollution
levels
said a municipal official
with a satisfied smile

Testing death on a
plant
is so much better
In fact a “no-cost” option
to save this
Earth

Kappu goes to the Zoo

Sat, 22 Sep 2001 14:49:38 +0000

Kappu maharaj, where are you going?
Zoo!
What will you see there?
Bear!
But how will you go?
Car!
And, may I ask with who?
You!

Kappu goes to the Zoo [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The Arrow and the Song

Wed, 11 Jul 2001 04:50:09 +0000

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to the earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroken;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

Our Lips and Ears

Tue, 16 Jan 2001 09:27:05 +0000

If you your lips would keep from slips,
Five things observe with care:
Of whom you speak, to whom you speak,
And how and when and where.

If you your ears would save from jeers,
These things keep meekly hid:
Myself and I, and mine and my,
And how I do and did.

A Smile

Thu, 06 Apr 2000 19:35:09 +0000

Let others cheer the winning man,
There’s one I hold worthwhile;
‘Tis he who does the best he can,
Then loses with a smile.

Beaten he is, but not to stay
Down with the rank and file;
That man will win some other day,
Who loses with a smile

My Puppy

Sat, 26 Feb 2000 11:42:11 +0000

Wuff! Wuff! Wuff!
My little puppy barks
You won’t believe it,
she’s afraid of the dark
She jumps about
her ears go flapping
She comes to me when she hears me clapping

My Squirrel Friend

Mon, 04 Dec 2000 06:03:08 +0000

Have you seen my little friend?
I call him nimble-feet
Because he moves so swift and fast
Is nimble – and discreet!

He runs away with all my nuts
And yet is never caught
His striped coat is ever bright
And clean – without a spot

He helps himself to all my things
Which I would never lend
And yet I cannot do without
My frisky squirrel-friend!

The Whopping Hippo

Fri, 11 May 2001 14:19:56 +0000

The hippo loves the waterside
Where it can bathe and swim and glide
And all the little fishes there
Swim away and cry – ‘beware’!

The hippo loves to laze all day
And snooze the winter noon away
He’s never cold, for don’t you see
He needs no quilt like you and me?

If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking

Wed, 08 Mar 2000 08:35:18 +0000

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one robin
Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

The Crow’s Lunch

Tue, 16 Oct 2001 11:21:35 +0000

The crow sat on the tree
Waiting for lunch

What would it be? Rice,
roti – or earthworm?

Lunch was none of these
The family was on a fast

Disgusted, the crow
swooped down
If not curry, maybe
a bland earthworm?

But the worms weren’t there
The crow wasn’t early enough

What has the world come to,
cried the crow
No thought for others!

The Lily Pool

Fri, 11 Feb 2000 08:30:27 +0000

We have a little lily pool
With lilies pink and white
And though they look so fresh by day
They mostly bloom at night

The leaves are round and dusky green
With an edge that often curls
And when there’s water on the leaves
They look like drops of pearls

Come and see our lily pool
And sit there – like I do
See the lilies blooming bright
I know you’ll love them too!

In, Pin, Tin

Fri, 12 Dec 1997 06:18:42 +0000

Three little mice
Named In, Pin, Tin
One fat, one short
The other one thin.

They woke up one night
As lazy as ever
The moon was already up
And they began to shiver.

They brushed their teeth
And said, ’lets eat’
There’s milk on the shelf
Eggs, cheese and meat!

But what do we wear?
We have no sweater!
So quickly they went
To the old shopkeeper.

Messy Kappu

Sat, 25 Aug 2001 13:57:09 +0000

Kappu maharaj sat on the bed
Clothes soiled in yellow mess
Playing with a plastic ball
He wasn’t bothered about it all.

Mamma took him in her arms
Felt his bottoms with her palm
“Kappuji, what did you do?
Let’s quickly get you a panty new.”

Messy Kappu [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Good Old Days

Thu, 01 Jul 1999 09:46:18 +0000

Where have the good old days
Of my country been swept away?
Why is it that Indians, I feel.
Are proud no longer of their country today.

Where is the leadership of Gandhi
That had kept us united, from dusk till dawn?
Where has the sacrifice of Netaji
That inspired millions gone?

Where is the idealism of Nehru
That enthralled the east and west?
Where is the dynamism of Patel
That had no time to rest?

Little Chick

Thu, 01 Feb 2001 22:49:35 +0000

My name is Little Chick
and I’m a chic chick
For I know every trick
to catch a worm quick!

This morning I caught a worm
It had a lot of charm
Now I am confused –
Do I eat it or not!

Kappu wants to Draw

Sun, 18 Nov 2001 14:11:56 +0000

Pencil, paper, crayons and pen
Get them all to Kappu’s den
Spread the paper on the floor
For little maharaj wants to draw.

Two lines here and four lines there
Zig-zig patterns and a circle in pairs
Kappu scribbled on all the sheets
Till it was time for him to sleep.

Kappu wants to Draw [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Slow Dance

Wed, 15 Aug 2001 05:49:47 +0000

This poem came to us as a forwarded email and we do not know the name of its author.

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?

The Three Kittens

Sun, 06 Feb 2000 07:52:41 +0000

The white cat said, ‘I’m fair as snow’
The black cat said, ‘I shine!’
The tabby said, ‘well, that’s alright
But the bowl of cream is MINE!’

The black cat said, ‘I’m warm as wool’
The white said, ‘I’m like silk!’
The tabby said, ‘say what you will,
I’m off to drink that milk!’

Kappu's Evening Stroll

Mon, 25 Jun 2001 08:51:35 +0000

Kappu maharaj sat in his pram,
With a bottle full of jam.
All set to go to the park,
He chuckled when he heard Buzo bark.

Mama pushed his pram,
and alongside Buzo ran.
When it became dark,
They came back from the park.

Kappu’s Evening Stroll [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Take me Too

Mon, 07 Dec 1998 18:51:02 +0000

Oh camel with a humpy back
Do take me for a ride
You’re so strong! For don’t you cross
The sandy desert wide?

Take me too when you go next
For I would love to see
The desert and an oasis
Which are unknown to me!

Summer

Tue, 22 Feb 2000 07:57:05 +0000

What a time the summer brings
Heat and sweat and iced up drinks
Some fruit sour and some so sweet
Things made up to meet the heat

Mangoes from the north and south
A mango to fill each waiting mouth
Apricots, cherries and juicy litchees
Melons, berries and lovely peaches

Out of the heat, away from the sun
Play, swim, splash – oh water’s fun
Short dark nights and bright long days
Such are some of summer’s ways

Chun Mun's Friends

Wed, 04 Jun 1997 17:34:57 +0000

There was once a little girl called Chun Mun. She lived in a village close to the forest. Everyday Chun Mun would go into the forest and learn music from her friends there – the birds and animals. But one of her friends Chintu, the black ant, would always be very busy and would have no time for such beautiful things. Nevertheless he was very curious to know what Chun Mun did in the forest. So one Sunday, when Chintu had no work to do, he asked Chun Mun –

My Bunny

Fri, 25 Aug 2000 17:48:11 +0000

Little bob-tail going up and down
Twichity nose smelling everything around
Rabbit teeth sticking out
Hopping, jumping all about
Beady eyes staring at me
A ball of cotton is all that I can see

Play Nicely

Sat, 19 Apr 1997 11:37:56 +0000

The kids next door have everything
you can think of and yet they love to come in
and play with us.
Their mother makes an awful fuss.
Says, ‘You’ll come filthy, in such a mess!’
Oh yes!

That’s just what they like about our place.
Nobody says, ‘Go wash you face,’
or “Look at your shoes! Look at your hair!”

My Ma, she doesn’t seem to care,
When we’re having fun it’s quite all right,
it will all come off in the bath tonight.

Flowering Bamboos

Sun, 28 Jun 1998 23:44:48 +0000

The huge bamboos, once bare,
Are now covered with beautiful, pale white flowers,
The yellow and green leaves,
Of the bamboos looming in the vast sky,
Make nature so beautiful and sweet.

Behold the pointed, shiny leaves,
Flying everywhere and leaping with the wind,
They are glad there are flowers,
With a fluffy carpet of them on the ground,
Along with the tiny grains.

Can you hear the leaves rustling,
They seem to tell each other a thousand times,

The Multicolour Earthworms

Sat, 13 Jan 2001 14:28:12 +0000

Red, green, yellow, mauve
What’s happened these days
to earthworms? Have they
gone multicolour?

There was a time when they

were the colour of soil
Only when they wriggled
Could you make them out.

Now giant sized, out of burrows
they slither and slide.
Heavens! Have I chanced upon

something Jurassic Park-like?

Oh what a relief! They are not the
worms I thought they were
But bright new phone cable wires,
awaiting a burial under the soil.

Kappu Tries Hard

Wed, 28 Feb 2001 15:45:25 +0000

Kappu Maharaj, wake up fast
The morning birds are chirping sweet
“Unnn..nn..unn” said Kappu
In a voice full of sleep

Little Kappu sat on his pot
But did not manage a single dot.
When his mother asked “Are you done?”
Kappu flashed a smile at once

Kappu Tries Hard [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The Wonder Elephants

Sat, 03 Feb 2001 18:18:47 +0000

Ramu plays at football
While Shyamu rings the bell
They make the circus lively –
We clap our hands and yell!

Ramu is so clever
And Shyamu is so free
They’re the wonder elephants
Whom people come to see.

Morning

Mon, 25 Oct 1999 19:44:17 +0000

Morning
Wraps me softly

In a blanket of grey
Touches my eyelids

With pale, cool fingers
Sings in my ears

A twittering sparrow
Tugs at my arms

Lifts me gently
From my bed

Saying
Another day is here.

Round and Round

The whirling fan
Touching my cheek

With its butterfly breath
A constant breeze

Blowing summer away
Ruffling my hair

Cooling my neck
Oops!

Making my papers fly!

Little Black Dashes

Sat, 23 Sep 2000 18:17:36 +0000

Little black dashes
On six legs each
Walking very fast
Where do they reach?

One saved a friend
Many ate a peach
We’re clever sing the ants
We wish and we can reach.

Childhood

Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:55:10 +0000

Is it funny

Would it be strange
To see a young girl
Go dancing around
the market place
Or climb trees by the highway
Or flick an orange from a cart
Or sing to the silent nightingale
Or smile at the nodding flowers
Or rush to hug you
When you’d rather think
a casual Hullo! would do
Or talk to the stars
and splash in the puddles
made by rain

If

Sun, 19 Dec 1999 15:36:01 +0000

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

Tejasvi's Song

Thu, 13 Apr 2000 01:08:29 +0000

I’m going, I’m going on a safari

Driving around in my big lorry

Jungle animals I shall see

As they live, quite naturally,
Not behind the cages, tied

Lions, elephants, zebras, birds.
Moving together in their herds.
I’ll shoot them,
but with a camera
They’ll think “oh, he’s
a nice fella”.

So we’ll be friends and
long long after
I’m gone, you’ll hear our laughter.

Kappu and Buzo

Mon, 04 Jun 2001 04:31:34 +0000

Buzo and Kappu played all day
“Come! Come!” Kappu would say
Wagging his tail and swaying his head
Buzo would jump to lick Kappu’s leg.

Kappu maharaj was very small
But not scared of Buzo at all
For even when he pulled his ear
There was never any fear.

Kappu and Buzo [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Chiku’s Birthday

Sat, 24 Jan 1998 05:11:46 +0000

It was little Chiku’s third birthday.
So Akki the ant bought a balloon
Blue as the sky,
Round as the moon.

But who is Chiku?
He is Dinku donkey’s friendly neighbour —
The creepy and crawly little caterpillar.
Chiku’s grandmother and grandfather,
Eeku and Meeku,
Were there too —
With candles, cake,
And a big cauliflower!

Who were the other guests?
Elephant Shakti with her fat twins —
Gablu and Bablu,
And their sixteen cousins!