Children's Day Poem by Perdita Young (Hanna Wang)
Children's Day
Some decades ago,
Mom had us near, and said so:
Five cents to each, of you two,
You buy tickets for the zoo.
Be sure, use it to the full.
Overjoyed, we ran to zoo wall,
And climbed a tree enough tall;
We crawled secret and crossed:
In the zoo we were, without fail.
The money remained with us,
To use it, we had discussed-
Five cents for spiced melon seeds,
Five cents saved, for later use.
That's our Day, and our deeds!
June 1st,2013, on the Children's Day(in China) . Loosely based on Prof.Zhao Xifang's post about his childhood in his Sina microblog(Chinese Tweeter) .
A vivid portrayal of a childhood memory. How commendable the character trait of being frugal at such a tender age and what a treasure to have a loving mother. A fantastic poem beautifully crafted.10
Thank you for the comment and compliment, dear Rose. Life used to be very hard for many Chinese families.
i'm not sure what their 'mom' meant by use it to the full, BUT, ignoring the children's mischievous behavior in not paying the entry fee, i guess they planned their use well. very well! thanks for the Poet's Notes. to MyPoemList. bri :)
A very interesting poem that carries us in our own childhood of such sweet and naughty memories.
Overjoyed, we ran to zoo wall, And climbed a tree enough tall; We crawled secret and crossed: In the zoo we were, without fail.......I was transported to my lost child hood! Well penned...10
Thank you very much for your time and support, Dr.Swain. We all have nostalgia for the past.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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8/5/2026 8:59:07 PM # rel_20260803T153344Z_4267e77
Childhood memory is beautifully presented in this nice poem. Mother's affection ever shines. Children usually save money given by mother. A brilliant and excellent poem this is...10
Money for a child is such luxury in China decades ago...And we have very few new clothes or toys in childhood. Families are becoming much richer now than in the past.