Eclipse Of A Fridays Child Poem by Kim van Breda

“ECLIPSE OF A FRIDAY’S CHILD”

Childhood nursery rhymes stick like glue
Parents provide our initial point of view
Before our vocabulary has fully matured
Enabled to recite nonsensical verse –allured

Dismayed that Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep
Aghast at the notion of Hush—A—Baby on a tree top
Concerned that when wind blows the cradle will rock
Trying to comprehend Wee–Willie-Winkie running through the town
Up and down stairs in a nightgown?

Enjoying perceptions of diddle-diddle, a cat with a fiddle
That astonishing cow jumping over a moon
While a dish runs away with a spoon
Why would Georgie Porgy have pudding and pie
And then kissed girls to make them cry
Besides Bo-Peep, “Mary” had a little lamb—its fleece the colour of snow
Hers she never lost—it followed her wherever she would go

I cat was asked where it had been
Astonishingly fortunate—‘to London to visit the Queen’
Nevertheless, all it did there
Was frighten mice under a chair
Those poor little kittens having sadly lost their mittens
Stern mother making them cry, informing them there would be ‘no pie! ’
Looking back I often ponder, which rhymes I loved the best
Reflecting on the infatuating verses my mind still possessed-
The characters of children reflected in days of the week
Being born on a Friday I was pleased –at my peak
Monday was complimented for being fair of face
Even Tuesday was serene with their grace
Poor Wednesday and Thursday were full of woe with nowhere to go
Saturdays child – doomed to work hard for their living
While Fridays child delighted in being loving and giving

As adults now, mature in thinking and reasoning
Some of these rhymes were illogical—unforgiving
There rhyming nature successfully disguised
Hidden meanings, connotations implied to rationalize
In this world we live with greed, malicious and offensive sin
A loving and giving Friday’s child I’ll endeavour—to undertake- to win