Note: I finally found this poem that I wrote for my son, Daniel a while back – and then lost! Posting now! Parents of little ones may share some of the emotion behind this – Daniel often challenges me and I wrote this to remind myself that that’s exactly how I should want things to be. He’s brilliant.

Some Children Come

Some children come to be quiet and calm
to talk quite politely and not cause alarm
Some children, it seems, are odd little creatures
with simpering smiles and angelic features

These children are cheerful and helpful and pretty
(they ride wooden bikes and they live in the City)
but somehow I feel that those kids are unusual –
they certainly wouldn’t meet Daniel’s approval.

You see,

Some children come and they don’t leave a trace
but some children come as if starting a race
the world is for taming and breaking in two
for tearing down walls and for building anew

yes some children come to take up the fight
to wrestle the world and to banish the night
some children have come to be seen and be heard
and believe me they’ll see that we hear every word

In the meantime there’s growing and learning and fun
– like crashing your scooter and crying for mum
like covering your face in both chocolate and snot
and screaming for pudding then scoffing the lot

So Daniel has come and now life is a riot
but the world isn’t changed by the kids who stay quiet