My Shadow. Comical poem number 808 by Angela Lansbury

No matter where I choose to go

My faithful shadow follows me

I don't print gold invitations

To breakfast, lunch, dinner - or tea

Shadow from hand forms an animal face. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

My shadow patiently sits there

It hides behind me til day's end

Not like an enemy or spy

As harmless as a dimwit friend

That shadow's strangely very dark

When there's a strong, bright mid-day light

Like me the shadow goes to sleep

When I turn off the bed-time light

I've strange, important news for you

You have a hidden shadow, too

Our shadows meet when we shake hands

I guess deep down you always knew

But what use to me's a shadow?

To a child I can explain

My hand makes shadows on the wall

Gone? Back again - I entertain.

-ends-

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My books on Amazon and Lulu have amusing poems, eg Poetry Pets and Pests, which is educational, and Poetry Workbook has a list of poetry patterns so you can write similar structured poems.

You Are A Tube comical poem 725 by Angela Lansbury

Brunel statue on Paddington station in London, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury Copyright.

 We ride upon the London tube

Which carries crowds from place to place

We listen for the destination

Distracting noise, trip feet, frown face

Each body, too, is like a tube

Water drunk in, must then come out

Food follows like the circle line

Drops energy, and germs, no doubt

We scatter workers through the town

To break fast, lunch, and dine and sup

They say that what goes up comes down

When sick what went down comes up

Choose well where to spend day and night

If you go home, sit, watch telly

Drink too much wine, you sleep or fight

But drink beer, get a beer belly

Don't forgot what we should expect.

There's logic, warning, in the world

As science says, cause and effect

Maps, banners, signs, results unfurled.

-ends-

The London underground is called the tube because of the tunnels.

About Angela Lansbury - my books of poetry

Poetry Pets & Pests

Angela's Alarming Animal poems

Poetry Workbook

 My latest book, Embarrassing Moments, is on Amazon, at a bargain price of well under ten pounds

My books are on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Lulu.com

Take a look. You might like to buy one for yourself or a friend. 

See my other blogs on Travel, Wine and dine, and Dress of the day Angela. Please share links to your favourite blogs and posts.

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A & E & Me comical poem 613 by Angela Lansbury

I'm sitting in the A and E

Accident and Emergency 

An ambulance transported me

What will they do? Just wait and see

They have to take a lot of notes

Which have to pass from hand to hand

Before they give pain's antidote,

I'd like to hear a marching band

I'd like to hear a country song

Or watch a joyful travel show

"When will a see a doctor here?"

The nurse tells me, "I do not know

'Because even if you were first

If someone serious comes in

The doctor has to see them first

And most of our short staff are missing.'

It's gone midnight, I ought to sleep

Why is this room not dark?

Other patients chat loud all night

First thing wrong at Northwick Park

I have to say breakfast was good

Fruit! Banana's my preferred food

Easy to eat and not much mess

A quick relief for my distress

Two pregnant women vomiting

At breakfast time, not the best thing

The only good thing I can see

Is others are worse off than me

Back home with pills and into bed

A soft pillow under my head

What did I learn at A and E?

Good to be home, good to be me.

-ends-

A Full Meal comical poem 566 by Angela Lansbury

 How should we start breakfast, lunch - or dinner?

With an olive or a glass of sherry

With brown bread and butter, or still water

Prosecco's fun, but it doesn't matter

Water or alcohol adds lubrication

Relaxes the mind and starts conversation

What is the best thing to talk about?

Thoughts which cause passion but don't make you shout

I like salad and fruit, something that's fresh

Something surprising in ev'ry great dish

Different colours, some vitamin C

Some A, and D, lots of variety

Some potatoes or bread, meat or fish

Something substantial in the main dish

I think of dessert but have to wait

For pudding, petits four, chocolate (cake)

I was on a diet but I'm not a fool 

In the short-term we're kind, though long-term we're cruel

Resisting it all cannot be done

Why stick to one when we're having such fun?

Last, espresso coffee, maybe mint tea

Something refreshing, I think you'll agree

Ginger and flavours you know I adore

Offer seconds, thirds, 'til guests gasp, 'No more!'

-ends-

Sleep, Deep Sleep, comic poem no 404 by Angela Lansbury

 

Where do you fly to when you're asleep?

Up in blue sky or down in dark deep?

I don't go far, though I've seen the world

Guess where I'm hiding? Under sheets, curled

My eyes are there, resting under lids

My head, like a rock, holds the pillow

My legs, solid tree trunks, lift, shape sheets

Gentle lungs pump, like leaking bellows

My mind's busy sorting out the trash

Inventing movies with silly plots

You can see where I am, still in bed

Have I gone elsewhere? No I have not!

Although my two eyes aren't open wide

I''m gently breathing, pumping red blood

I promise you, there's action inside

Fighting the flu, doing unseen good.

When I wake up, I forget daft dreams

By nine I've had breakfast, smug - washed, dressed

Mind's clean, ready for sensible schemes

Refreshed by rest for doing my best 

I was not away during the night

You could wake me up with noise or light

Alarmed or annoyed after that fright

Then happy, ready to greet sunlight.

In dreams, packed old nonsense, dried out tears

Fondly surveyed photos of past years

I've sorted recent and distant fears

Found stores of smiles, for you. darling dears.

-end-

Photos from Wikipedia article on sleep. Sleeping Girl, Domenico Fetti, c. 1615,

Sleeping Girl, Domenico Fetti, c. 1615

Hours of sleep recommended for each age group^[91]

Age and condition Sleep needs Newborns (0–3 months)14 to 17 hours 

Infants (4–11 months)12 to 15 hours

Toddlers (1–2 years)11 to 14 hours

Preschoolers (3–4 years)10 to 13 hours

School-age children (5–12 years)    9 to 11 hours

Teenagers (13–17 years)8 to 10 hours

Adults (18–64 years)7 to 9 hours

Older Adults (65 years and over)7 to 8 hours

\

In the poem 404 I considered changing one line to

I promise quiet action inside.

When I revise my poems's first draft, or re-read it for typos, sometimes I think of another alliteration to add.

 Please bookmark poems you would like to re-read, and share links with your family and friends

Up And Dressed comic poem 207 by Angela Lansbury

Angela Lansbury on the steps for mounting a horse at The Malt Shovel, Baildon, Yorkshire. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 I'm up, I've had my pill, and dressed

I've slept well, I've had a good rest

Must comb my hair, not look frumpy

Have to put a smile on Grumpy

Family see you, have no choice

At least you know they like your voice

He greets me with unwelcome sound

"After meals out, put on two pounds!"

To drive that heaviness away

I guess we'll have a frugal day

Breakfast. Then three good things I know

I'm up, dressed, and ready to go.

-ends-

I have other blogs on travel and on clothes.

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Poem: Raisin Children

Raisin Children 

By Angela 

 Years ago the day started with bacon and egg 

If you wanted some more you did not need to beg 

A big breakfast's a dream, 

in our new healthy scheme 

Hotel buffets, tut-tut, cost a fat arm and leg 

 Thank you, darling, for starting our breakfast with fruit 

As a sat in my silk wrap and clean birthday suit 

For more, "seconds?" we plead, as we lick the last seed As pleased picking out nuts as pirates listing loot 

A big spoon makes your milky porridge go faster 

A small spoon makes your dwindling porridge go laster 

How much food do you need? 

No, it isn't just greed 

Food is fun - plus emotional sticking plaster. 

 copyright Angela Lansbury Jan 4th 2017 

Just in case anybody missed it, there's a pun on raising children and raisin children, children raised on raisins, the modern fad for fruit and nuts. 

Costing an arm and a leg, meaning a lot of money, is also taken literally to mean making you fat. 

I hope you enjoy the alliteration: big breakfast, seconds and seek, pleased picking and pirates, listing loot, small spoon, food and fun, seconds and seed. 

Also notice assonance and rhyme: silk and milk, egg and beg and leg, dream and scheme, buffet and tut tut, buffet and fat, sat and wrap, plead and seed, need and greed, faster and laster, and plaster.