Now's the time when children's noses
All become as red as roses
And the colour of their faces
Makes me think of orchard places
Where the juicy apples grow,
And tomatoes in a row.
And to-day the hardened sinner
Never could be late for dinner,
But will jump up to the table
Just as soon as he is able,
Ask for three times hot roast mutton--
Oh! the shocking little glutton.
Come then, find your ball and racket,
Pop into your winter jacket,
With the lovely bear-skin lining.
While the sun is brightly shining,
Let us run and play together
And just love the autumn weather.
This is an era when houses were not as warm, when synthetic warm clothes were not available, when animal fur was the beat heating insulation. Strange how fur is out but leather is ok because we still eat cows, although now far less beef and mutton, it is the age of eating chicken as the main meat. The vegetarian age is still coming.
I wrote the poem 'A Time In Long Past Colonial New Zealand', inspired by my comment on the poem 'Autumn Song', by the poet Katherine Mansfield and dedicated to Katherine Mansfield.
Loved the phrases of an era past, 'children's noses... red as roses', 'three times hot roast mutton- ' which was then a kiwi staple in the diet, 'ball and racket' and the now politically incorrect 'winter jacket, With the lovely bear-skin lining'.
I love this and shared it to facebook with your link to your poems...
She knows how to write a memorable description- -of course she does. She writes short stories and they are Literature of the finest.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
There must have been a lot of little child in her as she digs deep into the past and relates to children. Very heartwarming. '10! '