White

when rain
whispers
it is snow

Green

when leaves
whisper
it is spring

Blue

when sky
whispers
it is wind

Grey

when cloud
whispers
it is wet

Red

when day
whispers
it is dusk

Purple

when hills
whisper
it is far

Yellow

when sun
whispers
it is heat

Black

when night
whispers
it is sleep

When you stop that dumb-bell
show-off act, I’ll let you see
the Mr Potato Head game I’ve brought.
It’s for you.
Here’s a potato: stick in the eyes
– make it look funny for goodness sake.
You can have it look nutty too,
just put the ears on upside down.
Don’t you want to have fun?
Well if you do, go ahead and have some.
There are zillions of zany faces you can shape.
Try making him look like a monster
with these prominent teeth.
He’s got a cute blue hat –
why not include it?
It matches his blue moustache.
Get over here and play.

Lounging around the kitchen
after school can be rewarding.
Don’t look now, but I think I see
the makings of a science project
growing on a furry tomato.
Let’s hope electrical heat conduction,
the chemistry of baking powder, eggs and flour,
the physics of rising matter
and the mathematics of batter
plus heat plus time equals cake.
While waiting, you commence
an experiment to discover
the cubic capacity of the human stomach.

Tonight I took the leash off my pen.
At first it was frightened,
looked up at me with confused eyes, tongue panting.
Then I said, ‘Go on, run away,’
and pushed its head.
Still it wasn’t sure what I wanted;
it whimpered with its tail between its legs.
So I yelled, ‘You’re free, why don’t you run –
you stupid pen, you should be glad.
Now get out of my sight.’
It took a few steps.
I stamped my foot and threw a stone.
Suddenly, it realised what I was saying
and began to run furiously away from me.