C19 Nursery Rhyme
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails
And puppy-dogs’ tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice
And everything nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.
C21 Observation
What are the elderly made of?
If they were boys
they just love their toys,
their cars and the sport on tv;
they’re sweet as sweet can be.
If they were girls
(may be mothers in law)
they’re bitter old bags, displeased –
who still no one can see,
And, despite the great priorities,
afforded them each at birth,
they really could not
have made more mess
of our beleaguered earth:
fighting over differences;
spending all bequeathed
on petty disimilarities
and not what’s underneath.
Cherry Coombe 