pomes

There was a girl
Who owned the world
And all the good things in it
She kept it in
A universe
And took it out to spin it.

The days and nights
Spun swiftly by
She loved to set them twirling
For seven years
Her planet dance
Has kept the world a-turning.

I teach my children
The little things of please and thank you
Spending money, making change,
"This is my name, who are you?"

I teach my children
Not to nag and not to whine
That "How are you?" is answered "Fine,"
I teach my children

I teach my children
To modulate their tone of voice
To choose and live with their own choice
And I teach them to apologise

Some people learn this stuff with ease
But for me it has always been impossible
Desperately confusing, frightening, alienating
All impenetrable forest, no trees -

So I teach my children,
Though perhaps they don't need to be taught
Perhaps they'd absorb all the rules they ought
If I did not teach my children?