I started this as a nursery rhyme and
repetitive song to teach simple English words to children and non-native speakers. However, simple sentences and repetition bored me. So this is my revised version
Small Birds Singing In Big Trees
By Angela Lansbury
In our long street, what did I see?
From our street I saw one tall tree
On day one I saw just one tree
What blocked the view? I saw a tree
One stormy night all over town
Old rotten trees had fallen down
How they are missed when they are gone
Traffic is blocked, no place for song
On my tall tree what did I see?
A bent branch, too near, threatening me
On its far branch I hear, can't see!
Two birds perched hidden in their tree
Small sparrows sing a simple song
Their squeaky tweet does not last long
Experts say it's a contact call
To lure bird friends behind the wall
Up in the sky's a big black nest
In trees, what do I like most?
Useful vultures and ravens rest
What sings sweet songs? Which bird is best?
Day two I walked, saw two fine trees
I checked their species. Scots Pine trees
I saw and heard one singing bird
Two more tweeted, that’s three I've heard!
RSPB relies on me
To spend an hour and do a count
How many birds are seen this year?
Do this year's numbers fall or mount?
***
More trees like slide show memories
Fill both open and half shut eyes
Years of travels leave sights which please
England's surprise, strutting magpies
New Zealand’s summer’s cool and calm
Pet cats catch birds, do lots of harm
Hard coconuts fall from tall palms
Big warning signs cause me alarm
Drivers see little, when it's late
Don't walk, parks aren't safe after dark
They clear the car park, close the gate
It’s shut and locked, eight o’clock sharp
Sleep at night when the park closes,
Bulgaria’s growing roses
Pink roses make pretty posies
At dawn guys pick perfumed roses
***
On day four, guess what we Brits saw!
Just outside our sliding back door
Birds peck at our green apple tree
And our neighbour’s red apple tree
One apple looked so good to me
I called, “Look at that apple tree!”
My neighbour peered, “Yes, take one please,
I hope you like it, dear, it’s free!
“You’ll find it’s very good to munch
Chopped for breakfast, or whole for lunch.”
I said, “Thank you. You’re
very kind
How did you see it? You’re half blind!”
He smiled, “I’m only colour blind.”
He grinned, “I don’t see red or green
You’d be surprised how much I’ve seen
Just sitting by the village green!
”Besides, there’s so much I can tell
From fruit’s soft touch, sniff the sweet smell -
Here comes a cat! How do I know?
The birds stopped singing. Where’d they go?
“Birds don’t complain, ‘I was here first.’
Don’t say, 'Stay, Let cats do their worst!’
Wise birds don’t sing a tell-tale song
They don’t rant, ‘I’m right, that cat’s wrong!’
"The world is big, they fly away
Wise birds find somewhere else to stay
They pray old cats will die one day
Spring birds fly back, happy to play.
"In warmer lands, birds fly to rest
Then they come back, our welcome guests
But farmers say big flocks are pests
We'll greet one couple, scare the rest
Wise birds know when to stay or fly
Some build black nests high in the sky.
Some Mums like birds, some Dads like cats
Dogs, mini zoos, you've heard of that!"
Boss builds big boats to sail high sees
Good gardeners plant apple trees
Bird box, mend fence, tree house, such skills
Work two jobs, more, to pay their bills
At weekends we stay home and rest
Admiring small birds in small nests
Retired Gran says, "We’ve done no wrong
We've worked and played, now hear bird song.”
I look again - what do I see?
A robin redbreast in our tree
He sings for birds, not just for me
But near here, clear, no food, no fee
***
Oranges flourish where it’s hot
Orchards thrive here where it is not
Bees in hives make farmers honey
Good honey sells for big money
In tropics, dates grow in the heat
Big juicy grapes, sweet, soft to eat
See rice, that’s nice, wines from grape vines
Pasta from wheat to sell, buy, eat
Some kids like fruit, nerds prefer greens
Some can’t eat fish, some won’t eat meat
Take sugar, nuts, but others don’t
Some guests nod thanks, whilst others won’t
We’ll eat differently, we agree
Sweets they ignore, leave more for me
Grow apples, pears, plant a plum tree
Fish, frog, pond, river, tuna, seas
Two small green song bird sing in trees
A parakeet is calling me.
What do I see? A big oak tree
Beyond fruit, a third, massive tree
Under the tree, guess what I found!
A small acorn, oval not round
After a time small acorns grow
Into big oak trees, kids all know
A garden swing sways from one tree
Two trees’ apples, a healthy tea
We grow sweet grapes on six grape vines
Four seasons’ worth of happy times.
Orange tree for Chinese New Year, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
-ends-
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