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The Normal Child

Un-violent, un-vicious, un-scheming, un-wild
Unarmed with a knife – meet the Normal Child.
His parents are married. He’s not hyperactive.
He likes reading books. His smile is attractive.
He plays with small trains. He’s not bought (or sold).
He likes buttered crumpets, does as he’s told
And is nicely polite, not stuffy or formal –
And oh, never swears! (the genus is normal.)
He holds hands with granny. It’s even been said
That at seven on weekdays he goes straight to bed.
He eats all his carrots and at the weekends
He plays on the swings in the park with his friends.
He doesn’t inject. His calibre shows
In the fact that he never picks fights, or his nose.
With love, hope and joy this cherub is linked.
(It’s tough to concede that he’s also extinct.)

Helena Nelson