Poetry Is 2017 Poetry is 2018 6M | Page 44

Armelle

My favourite poem is Dear Mum by Brian Patten. It’s very funny as it is a kid writing a letter to his mum saying all sorts of things that happened while she wasn’t home. I like this poem because when I do something, I always deny it. My first favourite part is the line, “Somehow, without even me turning on the tap, the sink mysteriously overflowed.” This sounds a lot like an excuse I would say to justify my acts. My second favourite part is, “I can tell you I was scared when, as if by magic, a series of muddy footprints appeared on the new white carpet.” This excuse is very unrealistic; it was probably the first excuse that popped into his or her mind. My third favourite part is the line, “I was being good (honest)” as if that fixes everything. I can totally relate to this.

Dear Mum

Brian Patten

Dear Mum,

While you were out

A cup went and broke itself,

A crack appeared in the blue vase

Your great-great grandad

Brought back from Mr Ming in China.

Somehow, without me even turning on the tap,

The sink mysteriously overflowed.

A strange jam-stain,

About the size of a boy’s hand,

Appeared on the kitchen wall.

I don’t think we will ever discover

Exactly how the cat

Managed to turn on the washing-machine

(especially from the inside),

or how Sis’s pet rabbit went and mistook

the waste-disposal unit for a burrow.

I can tell you I was scared when,

As if by magic,

A series of muddy footprints

Appeared on the new white carpet.

I was being good

(honest)

but I think the house is haunted so,

knowing you’re going to have a fit,

I've gone over to Gran’s for a bit.

Poetry is the little voice in your soul that controls your emotions.