The Boy Poem by Sue Kilbracken

The boy stood on the burning deck
stomping his feet like mad.
Earlier he'd put a cigarette butt out
but no-one else had.

'Why, oh why on earth do ducks have such big broad flat feet? '
he asked,
'Why and wherefore do they do? '
'Why? ', wisely said his mother,
'for stomping out the burning decks
like good little sailor boys do.'

'So why, oh why, do elephants
have such big expansive feet? ' [Yucks.]
'Didn't your mother ever tell you?
It's to stomp out burning ducks.'