Poetry Pleases: A Tail Of A Toilet
Joyce Worsfold's poem reminds us that nursery teaching involves lots of sand - and unexpected questions.
Teaching in nursery is always hectic
Sand for sick and antiseptic
Sand, sand, and mopping floors
Sorting toys and locking doors
Wiping paint and bums and noses
Finding shoes and spare clotheses
Supervising toilets and chivvying them on
Suddenly I hear this song…
“A place to pee, a place to pee
A toilet is a place to pee.’’
Scott has time, just to be
To wonder and to cogitate
To marvel and to meditate
And yes… to pee.
Not for him the rush and push
The foolish haste, the adult hush
He has all the time in the world to enjoy… a pee.
“Come on Scott, we haven’t all day
It’s time for dinner.
Wash your hands
Collect your tray.’’
Unfazed, he smiles beatifically
Then, eyes opened wide, he shouts excitedly,
“My Mum sits down to pee
She doesn’t stand like me
And Miss, guess what, she hasn’t even got a tail.’’
Elisa, cross-legged, begins to wail.
“I know Scott,’’ I cry in haste.
He looks at me in great surprise.
“How do you know?’’ he loudly cries.
