Esther Hughes

Esther Hughes Poems

The Best Poem Of Esther Hughes

Flair

Flair
A Children's Story by E Hughes





 
My name is Flair I am a Duck can't you see,
I live in this pond with my duck family.
I have brothers and sisters, a mum and a dad,
A nice little Grandma and a Grandpa who's sad.
My Grandpa is sad because of something I said,

I said "Grandpa, I am not sure that this is my head"
Grandpa looked into my eyes, with a big confused stare,
Saying "what on Earth are you talking about, silly Duck Flair"
I told my sad Grandpa that my beak does not feel right,
Grandpa wiggled it and squeezed it to check it was on tight.
"Your beak fits you perfect" he shouted as he wiggled my beak back,
But I knew it was broken because it makes a loud quack.
"Please help me, Grandpa, can you please take it back,
And my feet are all webbed and make triangle tracks."
Grandpa's face turned bright red and he didn't look happy,
He sat me down saying "Now listen here, Chappie"
Grandpa couldn't bear to look at me as he angrily ruffled his brown feathers,
saying "Stop moaning Flair, you belong with your beak and it's stuck there forever."
"But Grandpa, " I said "There are more things I don't like,
I don't have any ears and my skin is too tight"
I Don't like my feathers and these two annoying ugly wings,
I really don't feel right anymore inside of all of these things.

Before I could say one single tiny word more,
Grandpa snapped "YOU ARE STUCK WITH THESE THINGS- IT IS THE DUCKY-DUCK LAW! ".









I dived down into the water where no one would see the tears I was crying,
Wondering why Grandpa wouldn't listen and why he wasn't even trying.

I waddled out of the water and hid beneath the biggest Oak tree,
Saying "Why am I so sad, and why does it feel wrong being me"
I'm not against ducks, in fact, I think ducks are great,
But there is this something inside me that cannot relate.
I have tried so very hard to be all happy and plucky,
but inside I am screaming "I AM NOT A DUCKY"
I feel deep in my heart
underneath all of the feathers and fluff,
That by staying as I am, would not ever be enough,
If I am going to be happy, then I have got to be brave,
I know it is going to be lonely, but I can't be afraid.







Now my mind was made up that I no longer wanted to be sad,
I raced quickly back home through the Green lily pads.
Swimming past the bull rushes and under the bridge,
Dodging torn up pieces of bread from a mouldy sandwich.

I was feeling excitement, mixed in with a whole lot of fear,
But for the first time in my life, things were seeming more clear.
Stopping for a few seconds where I knew that nobody could see or could hear,
I finally let out the words that had been trapped inside me by fear. 

"I am not a Duck, I don't belong in this Duck body anymore,
and I no longer care about the DUCKY-DUCK LAW" 







Early the next morning as the sun started to rise
I woke up and chose to see my new world through a new pair of eyes.
I avoided all the mirrors which hung around our duck reef,
I didn't look at my reflection in the Lake underneath.
I quickly fastened up the box of my secret stuff,
then packed up my suitcase and filled it with fluff.
Tiptoeing gently, I quietly swam far far away,
To a place where four-legged animals play.
I arrived there quite early the sky was still dark,
The sign on the gate said ‘Woodland Play Park'
Without turning around, I heard the most beautiful sound,
that made my soul start to dance and my heart start to pound.
I wondered how could just one tiny word, made up of only four letters
Could make me feel fixed and mended and feeling all better,  
There the sound was again echoing joyfully throughout all the park.
Louder and louder "WOOF, WOOF, and BARK, BARK"..........







Waddling over a little closer trying hard not to stare,
Feeling jealous and angry that things were not fair.
The sound came from a dog with the shiniest black tail,
Swishing and swashing just like a boat sail.
His fur was so fluffy, his nose busily sniffing,
I spied on him silently, knowing and wishing,
If only I could just take off my beak.
Pluck out my feathers and grow two more feet.
Swap my quack for a bark and my waddle for a bound,
Chase and lick people faces and roll on the ground.

If there was a way I could change the laws in the Ducky Duck Law Book,  
Saying ducks can be more than just feathers, webbed feet, Quack-Quack and Cluck- Cluck







As the night time was falling and the moon was high in the sky,
I unpacked my box and my suitcase, trying hard not to cry,
As I unpacked my things a thought popped up inside of my head,
I am going to change from being a Duck to becoming a Dog instead.

I rolled up my duckbill fastening it tightly with some string and some tape.
For two dark big nostrils, I stuck on two big black grapes.
I flattened down my wings, and used branches for legs,
I Found leaves for my ears and clipped them with pegs.
At last, almost finished all I needed was a tail I could wag,
So I glued to my bottom a brightly coloured flag.
The only thing missing which might cause a bit of a stir,
Was the fact that I would look like a dog, but without any fur.
I remembered my suitcase which I had packed full of fluff,
So I covered myself in honey and rolled in the stuff.







At last, I felt happy, I no longer felt fake,
I had lived long enough as a boring brown Drake.
Now my life could begin, I was at last finally free,
But oh how I so missed my duck family.
Memories of Grandpa appeared in my head,
Memories of Grandpa and what he had said.
I wondered if Grandpa had missed me, but how would I know?
It was time to find out, so back home I would go.







Back home at the pond, I noticed that nothing had changed,
I peered on from the banking feeling proud rearranged.
I then spotted Grandpa sitting alone on his old wooden bench,
His feathers all dirty from the wet paint on the fence.
I crept towards Grandpa, hoping my new legs would not fall off,
I waggled my new flag tail and tried out my new bark cough.
I sat down beside him and nervously nudged at my paws,
Scratching my ears for good luck with my new doggy claws







I wanted Grandpa to like me through his own choice,
So I started to talk with a grizzly deep voice.
I wasn't yet ready for Grandpa to meet his new Grandson Dog-Flair,
As having a dog for a duck grandson would be something quite rare.
I then plucked up some courage and told him a joke,
We talked about politics and how we would vote.
The hours quickly went by and the sun was now falling,
Grandpa said "Next time you're passing you're welcome to call in"
"In fact, why don't you come right now, you've not eaten all day,
You can enjoy Grandma's cooking then take a nap on the hay"
I answered him politely "saying it would be my greatest of pleasures",
"I would be honoured to eat with you and your family of feathers".







At the end of the Evening after sharing so much good food,
I felt special being liked by all of the brood.
When saying "Good night" as I stood at the door,
I had not noticed that the rain had started to pour.
The rain washed me out of the door and into the deepest puddle,
My Duck families faces seemed all confused and all muddled.
I looked down at my feet, seeing that my fur was all gone,
The rain had washed all my fluff off and now there was none.
The sticky tape which had been holding back my bill,
sprung off into the air onto the window sill.
My branch legs had snapped off and my tail was no more,
My black grape nostrils had rolled onto the floor.

I hung down my head so that I couldn't see their faces,
Then headed down the path at the quickest of paces.
I once again felt so alone and so filled up with shame,
When out of the blue I heard Grandpa call out my name.
Not turning around, I carried on walking and ignoring his call,
When I tripped on a stone, hitting my head hard on the wall.







When I finally woke up after a week and five days
I wondered what Grandpa had called me to say,

I didn't want to leave, but staying could surely make my heart break,
I couldn't face any goodbye's, so I just swam off to the Lake.
I peered one last time into the water whilst sitting upon my favourite log,
Surprised to see that the reflection looking back at me, was that of a Dog.

Then Grandpa's face in the water appeared beside that of mine,
With a smile replacing his usual grumpy mouth line.
Grandpa had been the one who had mended my leg branches and collected up all of my fluff,
Sticking them carefully back on me, along with all of my other doggy stuff.
He then patted my head and gently ruffled my fur,
Saying…..

" I LOVE YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE, MY LOVELY DOG FLAIR".

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