DASH THE SQUIRREL

Now Dash has got bored with this thing, hibernation,

He wishes to go out, get some recreation.

So he lifted the branches that formed his roof covering,

And left the warm next to do some discovering.

He scampered about his bushy tail quivering,

Dashed up and down fir trees, lived up to his naming,

Of what a good time, he thought I am having,

With warm winter sunshine, such joyous living.

Then the inevitable happened, he began to feel hungry.

No food to be seen: he was in a quandary.

“Oh mother” he cried, “What is there to eat”?

The branches are bare, and there’s snow on my feet.”

Now mothers are wise, they know what to do.

“Remember we gathered those nuts in the autumn”.

What you must do is just try to find them.

Beneath an old boot beside that big oak tree,

You’ll find lots of nuts, and fruit of snowberry.

Now hurry, dig quickly, the sun is soon fading.

The temperature’s dropping, so as soon as you’re fed,

Get back to the nest, and tuck up in bed”.

Mrs D Ridley, Frosterley

RESOLUTIONS

Are we making New Year resolutions?

Can we promise ourselves to keep them,

have we got the solution?

We need to keep away from temptations,

To have willpower and be strong.

Because these promises have to last all year long.

We must not give in to weakness,

And spend, spend, spend,

Must pay all our debts,

And make less bets.

We want a slimmer figure, so

in sweets and cream cakes,

We must not indulge,

Or we’ll be fighting

Against our bulge.

Do we try to impress our friends

By how much we spend?

We know we can’t afford luxuries

So, let us to be true to ourselves, and our friends.

Let us hope that the year 2010

brings us prosperity, good health and joy,

Encouragement, and hope for the future,

To every girl and boy.

Emma Thomas, Darlington