My Dreamy Swimming Family (grand-daughter's view) comical poem 532 by Angela Lansbury

 

Granny Angela Lansbury by the swimming pool during Covid in Cashew Heights in Singapore. Copyright Angela Lansbury

My family all learned to swim

At different times from me

When did you learn to swim?

I asked my family

My granny learned on a cruise ship

The sea around was nice

Her parents took her there three times

'cos children paid half price

The cruise ship has a swimming pool

And although it was small

You have people all around

You were always near the wall

She pushed the water with one arm

And then she added two

Then three or four, then some more

It wasn't hard to do

When Granny was expecting Dad

She told hubby, 'Learn to swim

If ever he's in trouble

You will have to rescue him.'

Grandad protested, 'I'm too heavy!'

Granny said, 'That is not true

'cos bigger people learn to swim -

They are heavier than you!'

When he was in a lesson

He copied all the others

Lots of people went to learn

Expecting fathers, and mothers

Later my grandad learned to dive

One day I'll learn that, too

When I am older, four or five

So much to learn and do.

So when I go to sleep at night

When I put my head down

I dream I'm in a swimming pool

And swimming round and round.

-ends-

How Ava LearnedTo Swim comical poem 531 by Angela Lansbury

1

 Ava sent us all a video

She wanted us to know

That she learns to swim each weekend

She doggy paddles to and fro

2 She has a swimming costume

She chose a pretty patterned pink

She chose a no frills costume

So she can swim sleek and never sink

3 She wears her swimming goggles

And her matching swimming cap

She puts it all on by herself

She's keen and proud of that

4 Where is the lovely swimming pool?

The pool is in a local school

The pool is all a shallow end

Big enough for her and her new best friend

5 First she learned to get in

The water is quite warm

She trusts teacher to guide her

So she cannot come to harm

6 She knows that Dad is watching

And recording her progress

So that all the family

Can re-play her success

7 How long do her lessons last?

Only fifteen minutes

She looks forward to her first lesson

She can't wait to begin it

8 She stands beside the swimming pool

She is very confident and brave

Before she climbs down the ladder

She gives us all a happy wave

9 She holds the board in front of her

Her legs kick up and down

Swimming's easy, water holds you up

Far above the blue tiled ground

10 She swims the whole length of the pool

It's fun but very far

And when it's over she's so tired

That she sleeps in the chugging car

11 We wonder what she's dreaming

When she wakes she is confessing

Can you guess what she was dreaming?

About her next swimming lesson!

12 Her next lesson's twice as long

Teacher said she'd made great progress

She is confident and strong

Swimming is her new success!

(Possible end)

13 She watched a safety video

It warned don't swim far alone at night

In a pool, by day, with lifeguards watching

Is the way to do it right

14 Some people risk deep rivers

Some swim in big waves in the open sea

But in a pool, with a life guard

Is best (safest?) for Mummy, Daddy and me

15 Mummy and daddy and grandparents

All think she looks smart and sweet

Each week she learns something new

Now she's flapping flippers on her feet

16 She starts out swimmg on her front

She looks as natural as a green, swimming frog

She ends up swimming on her back

She's as happy as a grinning, tail-wagging dog.

-ends-

Copyright Angela Lansbury

Sun Cycles comical poem 530 by Angela Lansbury

Halong Bay, on a sunny day, Vietnam.

Every morning I see the dawn's light

Some times hesitant, others boldly bright 

And I know life's cycle's rolling again

From flu to joy and back to pain

From mist to sun and back to rain

From glad to glum, silence to hum

From footpath to river, from stream to lane

From numb to singing, from singing to dumb

And lastly we turn from day to night

Jumping the hurdles, doing our best

Life's a relay race, as we pass each test

Sure that tomorrow will bring us daylight

We know that one day we won't go on

We've done lots of right and hid lots of wrong

Some times we were silent, others sang a song

Without us the world will still go on, and on..

Each day, somewhere, a nobody dies

But each day a cute baby opens its eyes

The sun doesn't stare, like a shrug, it's there

The sun doesn't care if you washed your hair

Our life's a pearl necklace, if we want to share it

Recording each day, so others can wear it

And after we've gone, children carry on

Like a circular train, trundling on.

-ends-

-ends-

 

The Child's Bible Stories comical poem number 529 by Angela Lansbury

Antique Noah's ark toy. Photo author Thomas Quine in Wikipedia.

My favourite story was Noah's Ark

More animals than the zoo and my park

But the whole bible I'd not read at all

It's big and heavy - the print's far too small

At school I learned about day and night

Which started when God said, 'Let there be light!'

He was alone and talked to himself

Everyone knows that's not good for your health

He made Adam and Eve, some people believe

And also a snake, which was a mistake

Eveyone knows that snakes are no good

It wouldn't let ancestors do what they should

I learned father, Christmas, wore red and white

His wife, mother, Mary, held their baby tight

Three wise men rode camels, they'd missed the plane 

I'd not got it right, but no-one explained 

When you like a book, what do you do?

You ask the librarian for the book two

They renamed the bible, the 'Old' testament

And promoted the next one with the word 'New'.

-ends-

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Up Early And Dressed comical poem number 528 by Angela Lansbury

Clock Dress label Catherine Kidston. 

I was up early at seven

Refreshed and ready, I'm in heaven

Half the jobs done by nine are mine

How much more I'll end by eleven

I've had a shower, washed and dried

My long-sleeve thermals hide inside

Dress for warm weather also cold

 Dressed young, sexy, chic, staid, old

It doesn't matter what I do

Just be ready, that is true

But add a bracelet, scarf or ring

Something red makes my heart sing

Dress in closed shoes prepared for rain

Don't yet wear open toes again

Dress in my best, just to impress

The mirror, family, the rest

I think I'll dress up every day

Fine clothes will send poor thoughts away

I'll comb my hair, wear lipstick, too

It's good for me and good for you

I'll pick my night dress from the floor

Ready to answer my front door

I'm dressed for outsides, not just ins

In case I need to move the bins

Do some sewing, check what's owing

Drink some water, lay the table

Never mind what I can't do

I'll do as much as I'm capable 

I can't hear talks, I'm finding forks

I've washed the dishes, made three wishes

Checked my emails, done some thanking, 

Last on my list, do some banking

Order eggs in the large sizes, 

For my contest dream of prizes

Move arms, legs, new exercises

Effortlessly, good surprises

Wrote a poem for my blog

Go for a walk, don't need a dog

Walk to the shops - but no stopping

Can't waste too much time on shopping

I've chosen good days and ticked best times

For firms to measure up new blinds

I've picked Roman, silk or cotton

Ticked conservatory, don't mind

Still on my list - to fix the fence

Though now it costs us pounds not pence

We also need to rebuild a wall

In one day I can't do it all

Ready to answer, 'Let's go shopping!'

For any outing, no stopping

I've had my pills and paid my bills

Just one thing left, to write our wills.

-ends-

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Daylight comical poem number 527 by Angela Lansbury

 I see an end to the dark, silent night

Wake to the bustle and joy of daylight

I have happy thoughts that I'm keen to share

With my friends and family everywhere

When cold winter ends and warm spring has come

We can dance with flowers and jog and run

Last night I dreamed I ran a poem class

One beginner at the start, most ran past

I stuck big signs on door, Poets meet and greet

Then, slowly, pupils filled the empty seats

I taught the shortest verse line's just four words

For a simple message which must be heard

But I often count syllables of eight

Which makes more room for thoughts which I create

But if you extend up to ten or twelve

You've room for words which you don't need to shelve

My pupils' poems made a splended start 

They all wrote poems of love from their heart

Some were shy, wrote nicknames, and hid their name

Other were proud and wanted to proclaim!

Although it was a dream, I was thrilled

My mind had set a scene that was wish fulfilled

The happiness of the vision would stay

Help start with energy my joyful day

I must clean my teeth and comb my long hair

And choose my finest, gorgeous clothes to wear.

The good news is that I've another day

To make sure everything goes the right way

I read some shout and block the city street

When we've work to do and people to meet

They claim they've sympathy for others' plight

I wish that instead they would simply write.

For foreign wars and deaths are far away

The future's far away from bright today

There's always something to make someone moan

Yet I've got joy and delight in my home.

-ends-

The second line of the last verse was originally

But I've been given a bright, shiny day.

The Magic Of A Miniature Dolls' House comical poem 526 by Angela Lansbury

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. March 2025.

I stopped outside a charity shop

I saw my own childhood dream

The perfect dolls house, fifteen pounds

No dolls inside, an empty scene

What is it that attracts us all

To a cute miniature dolls' house?

The teeny people, chairs and stairs

The happy hedgehog, dog, cat, mouse?

 An empty house - a big mistake

I scan online to make it right

Prices more than my Fisher Price

The cost of sets gives me a fright

All kinds of figures catch my eye

This search could waste my entire day

I must resort to DIY

Another way to waste my day

I search my big house - what to take?

Dried rosemary will make a tree.

A santa from a Christmas cake.

A key ring car- take off the key

I decorate walls as I please

Create this little house with love!

What is it that entrances us?

To see dolls still, or make them move?

Best make them match, all twelfth size

Not mix up dolls of different sizes

But it matters not to toddlers' eyes

Life's full of invention and surprises

Gran makes a doll from an old cork

A garden urn from a wooden egg cup

Dolls listen to us as we talk

Their life stories? I'll make them up!

I'm sure my grand-daughter will love it

Cares not what's costly, what is free

I may pretend that it's for her

Yet, in a way, it's just for me.

-ends