Oh dear sweet child
and parents too,
listen to what I say
and do as squirrels do.
Spring time they play,
summers they work.
Winter time’s rest
is always the best
because gathered nuts
gifted by trees,
are stored for later
so they won’t freeze.
The lesson to this bushy tale,
my sweet and darling little dear,
is live like the squirrel
and there’s nothing to fear.
Enjoy all the good times
but work hard too.
Talents used wisely
make blessings accrue.
Amaya is hosting Poetics Tuesday at dVerse, the virtual pub for poets. We are to create a child’s nursery rhyme motivated by one of several Franz Kafka (modernist German writer) quotations provided in the challenge, remembering that children like rhythm and rhyme.
The Kafka quotation that motivates this Bushy Tale is “God gives the nuts, but he does not crack them.” Photo at Pixabay.com
lillian the home poet 
Well done, Lillian.
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Thanks!
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I love what you’ve done with that quotation, Lill, and the illustration is so cute! We should all do as squirrels do, it would make this insane world a better place. Wise last lines, too.
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Thanks, Kim. Rhyming is always tricky for me…I did have a little fun with this one. Such a fabulous prompt. Will be very interesting to read other posts!
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What a dear poem!
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Thank you, Linda!
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I do love the sweet wisdom in living like squirrels … not easy though if you forget where you put your nuts.
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Yes….one hopes aging squirrels are not struck with forgetfulness!
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Great advice here, Lillian. Though I think we have some squirrels digging up our lawn at the moment, so I’m not the biggest fan!
The rhythm and rhyme give a timeless feel, and I like your motherly voice in this.
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Thanks, Sarah. Couldn’t let that Kafka “nuts” quotation go by. 🙂
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I like the conclusion about the wise use of talents.
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Thank you, Frank.
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I like this because it imparts wisdom and so often children’s fables and poems were intended to do that. I fear that perhaps we all have much to learn from this.
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Thank you, Alison! 🙂 Really appreciate your comment here.
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What a wonderful fairy tale for kids, Lillian, and adults too!
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So glad you enjoyed!
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🙂
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What a cheerful fun lesson, well composed!
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Love your little piece of wisdom! Reminds me of Aesop’s The Ant and the Grasshopper!
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Excellent children’s tale. Oddly, when a rodent has a bushy tail, it’s cute, but rats and mice must play the villains. Disney did a whole real life movie about a squirrel in the late 50’s.
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a perfect little lesson
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Haha, I don’t know about my kids, as they’re asleep, but I read this out loud to my dog and she was very happy with every mention of her favorite animal. Ears perked, and yes, bushy tail. A sweet little story, Lillian!
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A good lesson charmingly told.
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An upright and moral tale. I love it! 😀✨
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a much needed reminder this is, Lill!
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Love it!!! So true. My grandfather always said “work hard so you can play hard”. Wise words and words I lived by.
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