Birthdays. Photo from Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Fifty Birthdays, comic poem 173
by Angela Lansbury
When you reach the age of one
Exploring the world is such fun
First, you step, then fall, then run
The age of one is ever such fun
When you reach the age of two
You find there's so much more to do
Each toy is exciting and new
When you reach the age of two
When you reach the age of three
You climb the cot and you run free
There's so much to explore and see
When you reach the age of three
When you reach the age of four
You run around exploring more
They'd better lock the big front door
When you reach the age of four
When you reach the age of five
It's so good to be alive
You've survived, so now you'll thrive
When you reach the age of five
When you reach the age of six
You pick up sticks, flail and fix
Build and break towers of bricks
When you reach the age of six
When you reach the age of 7
Off to school, parents' heaven
You wish that you could be eleven
When you reach the age of 7
When you reach the age of 8
You want to bake a little cake
How long can a bike ride take?
When you reach the age of 8
When you reach the age of 9
You're growing, but you're going fine
You've started stamps, found a fishing line
When you reach the age of nine
When you reach the age of 10
You'll soon mature, not sure when,
You need to grow, and count again
When you reach the age of ten
When you reach the age of 11
Too big for kids of 7
Big school looks just like heaven
When you reach the age of eleven
When you reach the age of 12
Start to study, dive and delve
Find things hidden on high shelves
When you reach the age of 12
When you reach the age of 13
Raise your eyebrows
Friends start flirting
When you reach the age of 13
When you reach age 14
Some big kids have started courting
Tut-tut, noughty-nought teen
When you reach age of 14
When you reach age 15
More selective, you start sifting
Seek your clique, your king and queen
When you reach age 15
When you reach sweet sixteen
In some places you could marry
Got exams so what's the hurry
When you reach sweet 16
When you reach the age of 17
You think you're a clever teen
But you are still in between
When you reach the age of 17
When you've got to age 18
In some States you can drink
Go to uni, start to think
Adult gaol's what eighteen means
When your birthday hits 19
You're a fine team on the screen
Football, six-pack, makes girls scream
When your birthday hits 19
At the tender age of 20
Yes, my dear, you've seen plenty
Now set sail cos you can't fail
At the tender age of twenty
When you're over twenty-one
You don't admit to what you've done
Or they'll try to stop your fun
When you're over twenty-one.
When you're over fifty
You forget to count
You ask people to guess your age
But deduct a small amount.
When your child has a baby
Birthday cycles starts once more
You're still far ahead because
You have seen it all before.
This poem on ages took me ages
So I wrote it in slow stages.
-ends-
Copyright Angela Lansbury Sat 4 April 2023
To be published in a forthcoming book of collected comic poems.
You can also read these paperback books by Angela Lansbury
Writing Poetry For Fun
Includes poem examples to inspire you, for anniversaries, birthdays, trades and professions, Valentine's Day.
Example Excerpts
If you need someone
Who's good at spelling
I need someone
Who's good at selling.
A Hairdresser gives you a cut
He chops it off, no ifs or buts
I.D. 3182338
www.lulu.com
***
Poetry Workshop Workbook
This handy book is entertaining and educational. It starts with quotations by poets about poetry. It ends with a poet's dictionary giving the structural patterns for poems such as ballads, sonnets, villanelles, and example of each and exercise.
From Lulu.com ID 2228624
www.lulu.com
https://www.lulu.com/shop/angela-lansbury/poetry-workshop/paperback/product-17dj5d4.html?page=1&pageSize=4
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wedding-Speeches-Toasts-Family-Matters-dp-0706372182/dp/0706372182/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Free look inside Grief and Us anthology on Amazon in which Angela has a chapter
https://www.amazon.com/Grief-Us-When-Here-Want-ebook/dp/B0BTMTGYV7?asin=B0BTMTGYV7&revisionId=9275660&format=1&depth=1
Angela also has chapters in Authenticity & Us (Chapter on Authentic Writing For Your Audience)
Fear & Us (Chapter on How To Unblock Writer's Block)
A to Z of alliteration. Each letter of the alphabet has adjectives, names, places and more suggestions for titles for articles, books and businesses.
Look inside to see the amusing introduction on alliterative placenames around the world.
I am a teacher and write comical informational poems for children and speak a lot on Toastmasters International where many speakers speak English as a second language. I also trained as a journalist for the tabloids and worked for woman's magazines, and the language must be simple and understood by all, so my poems might strike you as simple. That's what they are meant to be. My 20 books include Poetry Workshop Workbook (written for a UK Writers' Circle meeting. Writing Poetry for Fun. Poetry Pets and Pests was bought by my local school where I gave a workshop. You can read the start of Improve Your English on alliteration using Look Inside on Amazon. Angela Lansbury
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