I grew up in the summertimeSurrounded by the spoils of warWe hunted acorns, played at crimeAnd watched the adults rig our score
Competing in a healthy senseWith shared experience and choresAll piled up rocks to mend the fenceTook turns to go from ours to yours
I learned to work an Epi-penSo Emily could come to teaWith lesser risk she’d choke uponWhat passed for pranks in company
While grownups talked of higher thingsOf Arts and Culture, grapes and wrathWe built a fortress, swung on swingsAnd sank our pirate ship – the bath
As water rose to muddy kneesThe hearty pirates gave a shoutAnd splashing round in pants and teesWe bailed the bathroom inside out
Though life was hardly always funWe made a joke of PhysicistWhose atom-splitting famous chumMiscalculated bigger things
And challenged to a duel of sortsTo prove we were such clever dicksTwo minds con CERN did turn their thoughtsTo problem setting cryptic tricks
The mighty sometimes need to fallTo make room for a counterpartWe kids did outperform them allAs was intended from the start
My sister won the treasure trailThe baby always did, you seeAnd chose a favour from the haulTo be the queen ’til half-past three
To coax ill humour to good moodAvoid a third and bloody fightSo none would win and none could loseA prize was found for all that night
And settled in the shade to gloatWe gulped Anne’s Grenadine and spatThen Alex saw a spotted coatSo off we ran to find the cat
We came upon a curious sceneFor kitty’d found a frog to patThus rescued for our pirate queenWe bore our mascot back and sat
Beside the pond to see if heWas well enough to take a swimJoanna, dared by EmilyTo kiss him, squealed as frog plopped in
Escaping all experimentWe gave the frog-prince lost at lastAnd comforted by this eventTo fairytales and bed did pass
your poem brought a smile. Lot to be said for pirates in a bath tub!