Now You've Turned Five. Comical poem 837 by Angela Lansbury.

 

Birthday candles. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Now you've reached three, passed four, turned five

Gran's job's still, keep tots alive

Don't race down high streets, I've a plan

You walk by me, and hold my hand

You must not dart across the street

You're big enough to control feet

You can't fight a big, loud lorry

He will win and we'll be sorry

Run as you like around the park

Climb up the slide and push the swing

But when we're by a busy road

That's totally a diff'rent thing

My job's to see you be a teen

Even when grown grumpy and mean

Then you can play in a loud band

But you're still small, so hold my hand

You see how adults walk alone

Talking to friends on mobile phones

Collide with others - shout at them!

They don't learn, just do it again

When I see someone walk alone

Immersed in their own mobile phone

Sorry to say, I'm not sorry

To think the winner's the lorry.

Now you've reached three, passed four, turned five

Gran's job's still, keep small tots alive

Don't race down high streets, I've a plan

You walk by me, and hold my hand.

-ends-

Revised 19 Aug. I repeated the first verse at the end. In novels it could be called bookending or framing.