Do You Want To Build A Castle?

Do you wanna build a castle?

Come on, let’s go and play!

I haven’t seen you here before

So will you stay?

Let’s be best friends today

I’m really glad to meet you

And now we can

Build towers that reach the sky!

Do you wanna build a castle?

A super-duper-special castle?

Do you wanna build a castle?

And dig a moat around the sides?

I think some sand piled here will make it clear

That something beautiful will very soon reside!

The beach is sometimes lonely

With no friends to play

Just watching the grains drift by…

Do you wanna build a castle?

Out walking

Our family walks are always interesting...

We raced along

sticks stuffed in back

of trailing grubby shirts

dust flying up

as feet kicked rocks

along the path of dirt

“Hurry!” we cried

much faster now

air sucked in quick and deep

lungs bursting over distance

the trail becoming steep

The shadow we were chasing

was flitting in and out

of gnarled and broken tree trunks

then “Quickly!” with a shout

we pounced and drew our swords

blades waving in the air

“Come out from where you’re hiding!

Come out from under there!”

And out he crept from darkness

held beneath a rock

great size and sudden hairiness

enough to give a shock

swords pointed bravely forward

ready for a fight

then “BOO!” came from that shadow

Dad laughing at our fright.

Note: this poem was the featured "Poem of the Day" 
on the Australian Children's Poetry website here