Sneeze on a Monday

If you sneeze on a Monday, there'll be sunny weather
Sneeze on a Tuesday, all friends together
Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter
Sneeze on a Thursday, get something better
Sneeze on a Friday, a visit from Bert
Sneeze on a Saturday, it's gone all down your shirt
Sneeze on a Sunday...
Bless you!

Written with and illustrated by Michael Leigh

Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat

Pussy cat, pussy cat

Where have you been?

I've been up to London

To visit the Queen

Pussy cat, pussy cat

What did you there?

Actually I was there on behalf of The Cat Can Look At a Queen Society - discussing ways to get a little more recognition for the pivotal role cats have played in traditional stories and poems.

Written with and illustrated by Michael Leigh

There Was An Old Woman

There was an old woman
Who lived in a canoe

She paddled all day
Till her hands turned blue
And all of her children
On the river bank
Laughed and laughed
When her little boat sank
Don't worry, they said,
That you've sunk your canoe
We've had a whip round
And bought you a shoe

Written with Michael Leigh
Illustrated by Michael Leigh

The Owl and the Pussycat

The owl and the pussycat

Went to sea

The owl ate the pussycat

Oh deary me

Written with Michael Leigh
Illustration by Michael Leigh

Catherine, Eloise

(A poem I wrote and sent to a friend of mine for a critique. She made a few changes and helped me get it into shape. It's a good example of the creative process. - RS)

Catherine Eloise

It seems to me you are so awkward, wayward
Ill at ease – even wilful
How can you function, eat, sleep, keep this manor
In the manner that we are accustomed to?
You, who tends the wonderful garden
How are those seeds, those bulbs, those corms
We witnessed pushing upwards, upwards to the light
(But not at night)
How are they coming on?
Those Lupins blue, those Canterbury bells
And the borders which you created
From old wire and bedsteads from the tip
And winkle shells and whelk shells
From the beach
Such happy days watching you and the servants,
The girls from the village,
The gorgeous girls we paid so pitifully
Oh, remember them, each lining up for their threepence
And free bag of gooseberries.

Version 2

Catherine, Eloise

Catherine Eloise (would one name be better? Just Catherine maybe?)
It seems to me you are so awkward, wayward
Ill at ease – even wilful (again simplify – just wilful. How about contrary?) Okay!
How can you function, eat, sleep, keep this manor
In the manner that we are accustomed to? (Don’t like it – leave it out. ) Manner – manor – it’s clever. (No – it’s contrived.)
You, who tends the wonderful garden
How are those seeds, those bulbs, those corms
We witnessed pushing upwards, upwards to the light
(But not at night.)
How are they coming on? (That’s stupid – not at night! Less is more) How about – just keeping how is your garden coming along? (Better!)
Those Lupins blue, those Canterbury bells
And the borders which you created
From old wire and bedsteads from the tip
And winkle shells and whelk shells (winkles and whelks? Bit common – how about cockleshells? ) Yeah – then I can rhyme shells and bells.
From the beach
Such happy days watching you and the servants,
The girls from the village,
The gorgeous girls we paid so pitifully (gorgeous? Bit too sexy – modern. What’s wrong with pretty?)Oh, remember them, each lining up for their threepence
And free bag of gooseberries.
Okay – so how does it sound now?

Version 3

Catherine

Catherine
You are so contrary.
How is your garden coming along?
With cockle shells and Canterbury bells
And pretty girls
Lining up for their threepence
And free bag of gooseberries

Much better.

What about if I called her Mary? To rhyme with contrary?
(Good – and repeat it so that it keeps the rhythm)
(And the word Canterbury is a bit awkward.)How about silver bells?
Which matches pretty. (I like it…)

So we have

Mary Mary
Quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty… how about maids? (That’s good)
And pretty maids
Lining up for their threepence and free bag of gooseberries.
Although would she have paid them in gooseberries?
(Probably not.)
Coal then?
(Excellent….)
And pretty maids
Lining up for their free bag of coal.

(That’s it! Well done! It’s a classic!)