Kids Love Ketchup

Kids love ketchup on their chips
Kids love ketchup on their crisps
Kids love ketchup on their eggs
Kids love ketchup on their bread

Kids love ketchup on baked beans
And to drown the taste of greens
Kids love ketchup though of course
Posh kids say 'tomato sauce'

Kids love ketchup on pork chops
Chicken, chocolate, lollipops
Kids love ketchup they form queues
Just to watch that ketchup ooooooooooze

Kids love ketchup in meat pies
Make my bottle jumbo size
Kids love ketchup on their plates
It's the relish they most rate

Kids love ketchup on their hair
Hands, nose, clothes and everywhere
Kids love ketchup twenty-four seven
Like to live in ketchup heaven

Kids love ketchup on their cheese
Kids love ketchup freshly squeeeeeeeeeezed
Dig the red ketchuppy mess
Do kids love ketchup? Yes! Yes! Yes!

Bored Superhero

I'm a bored superhero
With nothing left to do
I've saved the Earth a hundred times
And distant planets too
Defeated every villain
And foiled their evil plans
No longer called to action
I'm not a busy man

I'm a bored superhero
Have you a job for me?
I'll help grannies crossing roads
Or rescue cats from trees
I'd rather face grave danger
And flex my muscles tight
Show off my mighty powers
Beat baddies in a fight

I'm a bored superhero
Now wearing normal clothes
With costume packed inside a box
I'm just another Joe
Nobody ever knows me
When I stroll into town
But I've made it a safer place
There's no crime to be found

I'm a bored superhero
So hire me if you like
I'll clean your house at triple speed
Or trace your stolen bike
Perform at children's parties
Or walk your dog for you
I'm a bored superhero
With nothing left to do

Red

Red is a stunning sunset horizon
Red is a flickering flame
Red is the hottest hue you'll lay your eyes on
Red is half the pack of a playing card game
Red is the brightness in neon lighting
Red is the blood of Count Dracula's biting
The Devil himself is red, red, red!
Which shade did Dad choose to paint our garden shed?
Red!

Don't confuse the Red Sea with the Dead Sea
Which is your favourite red fruit - cherry, raspberry or strawberry?
Too much TV and IT will redden your eyes
Red ants in your pants is not a pleasant surprise
If your skin's burning lobster red get off that sunbed
Check out those clowns with massive red noses
Smell the sweetness of my Valentine's red roses

He was red with embarrassment
She was red with anger
Swimming by the red flag puts you in grave danger
Stop!
A red signal will halt speeding traffic
Pop!
My red balloon burst as a pin pricked its plastic
If your red's too red then think
About mixing in white to turn it pink

Ladies like to apply red makeup to their lips
Kids love to pour red ketchup on their chips
And if you're seriously silly
You might put raw red chilli on your tongue
Want a red fire engine dial 911
In the USA
Or 999 in the UK
Ole!
The bull charged the matador on seeing red
If you're colourblind you may be seeing green instead
Red rubies, cabbages, hair, beetroot, cheeks
Apples, pandas, buses, Lego bricks

Finally...
I hope you enjoyed this poem
But if you think you can make it better
Please mark your corrections in red ink
And return it to Neal Zetter

It's Not Fine to Sit on a Porcupine

It's not fine to sit on a porcupine
Your day will turn nasty and rotten
You'll have holes in your pants
And there's quite a big chance
That his quills will stay stuck in your bottom

It's not fine to sit on a porcupine
You'll shoot like a star to the ceiling
And experience pain
From your toes to your brain
Then be left with a tingling feeling

Although the creature's cute and sweet
With button nose
And tiny feet
He'll stop you relaxing in your seat
Because...

It's not fine to sit on a porcupine
Please listen, take note of my warning
When you're touching those spines
You'll scream loudly and whine
And your bum will still ache in the morning

It's not fine to sit on a porcupine
That's true I'm not joking or jesting
If you now ignore this
You'll end up with sore bits
So be careful where your rear is resting

 

 

You Can't Beat a Fry Up

Your breakfast is swimming in rivers of fat
All your best instincts are telling you that
Your heart will succumb to a fatal attack
It's a diet from hell
It's a loud alarm bell
But you can't beat a fry up

Sausage, three eggs, streaky bacon, hash browns
Nothing can top that hot sizzling sound
Soon you'll be found in a box underground
Your doc shrieks "Cholesterol!"
Each time she blood tests you
But you can't beat a fry up

With a side order of butter and toast
WeightWatchers' memberships give up the ghost
Four hours later you'll face Sunday roast
The meal you're enjoying
Has oceans of oil in
But you can't beat a fry up

I don't want Weetabix, Cornflakes or bran
Healthy fruit portions, cheese, croissants or ham
My guilty pleasure's prepared in a pan
You're slogging when jogging
With arteries clogging
But you can't beat a fry up

 

Saturday Dad

He's a Saturday Dad
Spending the morning with his eight-year old lad
Comparing, sharing the separate weeks they've had
Never enough time to say how he really feels
During a wander in the park
And a not very Happy Meal
How could a promise-filled future 
Become so bad?
He knows the questions
Not the answers 
He's a Saturday Dad

A single day in seven is too small a slice
Of the cake he baked
That's now his family life
Women, wild nights, broken promises
Too many choices not from his wedding list
A part-time parent
Ruing what he never had
While his son remains his number one
He's still a Saturday Dad

Though he wants to enjoy
Precious moments with his boy
They're filled with frustration
Struggling to find connections
In disjointed conversations
How can a match spectator collect a pass?
A father slipping further away
Prematurely out to grass
Dejected, reflecting
In his cramped bachelor pad
Counting solitary seconds
Till the weekend that beckons
He's a Saturday Dad

How to Spot a Horse

If it won't go wild for hay
Isn't black, brown, white or grey
Never whinnies, never neighs
Then it's probably not a horse

If no rider's on its back
If it doesn't love to hack
Always greets you with a quack
Then it's probably not a horse

If it can't canter or trot
Won't eat carrots (cold or hot)
Sails the oceans in a yacht
Then it's probably not a horse

If it's loathing sugar lumps
Wants to hop instead of jump
If it's grown one or two humps
Then it's probably not a horse

If its neck's without a mane
If it owns a largish brain
Parachutes from aeroplanes
Then it's probably not a horse

BUT
If it won't fit under tables
Is found in a field or stable
Has 'HORSE' written on its label
Then of course, of course, of course
It's most definitely, certainly, positively...a horse!

 

Mister Poetry Man

Here comes a man
With a pen in his hand
Rhythms and rhymes at his command
To build a sandcastle 
You need sand
But who'd you need to write a poem?
Mister Poetry Man

Here comes a man
Guaranteed to inspire
Spreading sunshine and creating a smile
To eat a jam sandwich
You need jam
But who'd you need to write a poem?
Mister Poetry Man

Here comes a man
With a million ideas
Using verse to help sadness disappear
To drink a can of coke
You need a can
But who'd you need to write a poem?
Mister Poetry Man

Here comes a man
To make dreams come true
And a rainbow sky if you're feeling blue
To take a tram ride 
You need a tram
But who'd you need to write a poem?
Mister Poetry Man

Here comes a man
With a magical touch
Words pour from his mouth
You can't get enough
If you like 'fantastic'
You will be a fan
But who'd you need to write a poem?
Mister Poetry Man

 

Lightning Bolt

Lamborghinis were left for dead
Speedometers smashed, shot way past red
Superman and Flash both frazzled and fried
Defeated far from the finishing line

When they faced living lightning
Not white but black
Blistering, bombing, booming along the race track

A nuclear attack
A whiplash crack
A smoking stack
The Legend with the knack
The Leader of the pack
Opponents only ever saw his back

They were trounced and toasted
Wrecked, ruined and roasted
Sweating, spraining, straining
While who gloriously coasted?

The fastest man on Earth
Powered by a million volts
Gold medal taker
From Jamaica
Mister Usain Bolt

 

Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang

Who's swinging on that tree
Eats fruit and veg for tea?
The orange one that's lots of fun who children queue to see

Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang
Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang

With arms extremely long
Huge muscles, super-strong
He says his second cousin's the gorilla called King Kong

Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang
Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang

He's jumping up and down
Fists thumping on the ground
He loves to play so every day he's monkeying around

Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang
Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang

His home is way out East
The cleverest of beasts
He picks his nose, he bites his toes, then scratches all his fleas

Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang
Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang

He likes to beat his chest
Tries so hard to impress
Of all the apes you've ever met who'd you think is the best?

Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang
Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang

Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang
Orangutang, atang, atang, atang, atang, atang

I Won't Eat Snails

I don't want snails for dinner
Or lurking in my lunch
Their yucky bodies squish and squelch
Their shells crack with a crunch
In France they may adore them
But I'm in England now
So remove them from the table
I won't eat SNAILS!

I don't want snails for breakfast
No antennae with my tea
Return them to the garden
Drop them by the nearest tree
You can drag me to the station
Tie me helpless to the rails
But keep molluscs off the menu
I won't eat SNAILS!

I don't want snails in sandwiches 
They're too terrible on toast
In marinades on barbecues
Or served with Sunday roast
I'll strip down to my underpants 
In rain, snow, sleet and hail
But one delicacy's not for me
I won't eat SNAILS!

I don't want snails for supper
For pudding or for sweet
I don't regard a gastropod
In garlic as a treat
I can't consume a creature
Oozing slippery, slimy trails
Though for a dare I'd bite a bear
I won't eat SNAILS!

Pay me sack loads of money
Or immerse them in honey
STILL I won't eat SNAILS!

Mr Teacher is Our Teacher

Mr Teacher is our teacher

"It's tricky to explain"

He told us when he taught us

So he told us once again

 

"I'm your teacher, Mr Teacher

"You say 'teacher' twice

"I was born a Teacher

"Been a Teacher all my life"

 

Mr Teacher is our teacher

It messes with our brains

Though teacher is the job he does

It's also his last name

 

He's married to a teacher

So she's called 'Teacher' too

Mrs Teacher is a teacher

Also teaching at our school

 

They've got two Teacher children

Who may grow up to teach

A total of four Teachers teaching

Would be really neat! 

 

But now we're even more confused

'Cause Mr Teacher said

"A new Headteacher starts tomorrow...

"And her name's 'Mrs Head!'"

Mammoth on the Underground

There's a mammoth on the Underground
Causing quite a crush
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Making such a fuss
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Sitting on ten seats
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Check those hairy feet

There's a mammoth on the Underground
Blocking carriage doors
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Letting out a “ROOOOAAAARRRRRRR!”
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Trunk upon my lap
There's a mammoth on the Underground
I warned him “Mind the gap!”

There's a mammoth on the Underground
Thump! Thump! Thump!
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Mash! Mash! Mash!
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Crash! Crash! Crash!

There's a mammoth on the Underground
Weighing twenty tonnes
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Scoffing current buns
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Two titanic tusks
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Can't he take the bus?

There's a mammoth on the Underground
Got on at Finsbury Park
There's a mammoth on the Underground
He's off to Marble Arch
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Slowing down my train
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Shout it out again

There's a mammoth on the Underground
Thump! Thump! Thump!
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Mash! Mash! Mash!
There's a mammoth on the Underground
Crash! Crash! Crash!

Tiny Bits

My heart's smashed on the kitchen floor
My blood is splashed on our front door
My stomach's stranded on the roof
And in the bath swims my false tooth
My hands are poking out the sink
My legs are on the window ledge (on the brink)

My arms are in the flowerbed 
Look down the toilet - there's my head
My toes are scattered through the lounge
My fingers too are strewn around
My torso's on the patio
My soul's forever lost
I've broken into tiny bits
Since 
You
Ran
Off...

 

Guinness World Records

The world's hairiest tongue
The world's fattest ants
The world's runniest nose
The world's tightest underpants

The world's stupidest joke
The world's biggest bum
The world's bounciest bed
The world's stretchiest chewing gum

The world's politest shark
The world's craziest laugh
The world's coldest volcano
The world's tiniest giraffe

The world's ugliest baby
The world's longest noodle
The world's wettest water
The world's strangest doodle

The world's squashiest tomato
The world's snottiest sneeze
The world's smelliest nappy
The world's itchiest fleas

The world's crunchiest crisps
The world's laziest cheetah
The world's quietest noise 
The world's spiciest fajita

The world's whitest ghost
The world's stripiest pyjamas
The world's spottiest teenager
The world's bendiest bananas

The world's strictest teacher
The world's poshest princess
The world's loudest burp
The world's hardest spelling test

The world's smartest website
The world's cleverest book
The most fantastic facts and feats 
Do you want to take a look? 
At 
Guinness! 
World!
Records!

Remember

For all the lives that were lost

For all the minds that were crushed

For all the trenches and mud

For all the bile and blood


For all the yards of barbed wire

For all the guns that were fired

For all the bombs and the blasts

For all the poisonous gas


For all the loved ones who cried

For all the generals who lied

For all the flags vainly waved

For all the crosses on graves


For all the horror and pain

For every 'never again'

On this Sunday in November

Wear your poppy and...

Remember

Wet Play

Children bouncing off the walls
Breaking each and every rule
Noise and din rapidly growing
Teachers' stress levels are showing
Tables, chairs wrecked in a mess
Scattered Lego, draughts and chess

Games out 
Books away
Everyone shouts
"Wet play!"

Eat your lunch then class again
'Cause outside it's pouring rain
Football pitches drenched and muddy
Sandpits soaking, drowned and flooded
Drier times are so much better
It's no fun when weather's wetter

Autumn clouds
Dark and grey
Thunder! Lightning!
"Wet play!"

Pupils bored, nothing to do
Jump about like kangaroos
In a hyperactive state
More a battle than a break
Miss is yelling "Stop! Stop! Stop!"
Praying soon it's one o'clock

Summer sun?
Not today!
So what's instead?
WET PLAY!

H2O

Water, water, everywhere to wash in and to drink
Filling up the swimming pool, the bath and kitchen sink
It makes the grass and flowers grow
In winter time it's ice and snow
In France it's known as just plain `eau'
Go with the flow
It's H2O

It has no colour, taste or smell
Found in rivers, lakes and wells
Splash, splash
Splosh, splosh
Drip, drip
Drop, drop
Rain, rain, rain will it ever stop?
Precipitation all over our nation
Go with the flow
It's H2O

Two-thirds of the Earth is covered in it
It's home to billions of fishes
Dangerous enough to drown all of us
Yet without it how would we do the dishes?
Great to shower in
Great to bathe in
Put down that water pistol, stop misbehaving
Go green instead, start water saving
Go with the flow
It's H2O

People die when it runs out
In Africa in times of drought
In the sweltering, scorching, sizzling sun
But if it's plentiful
Like in a waterfall
It's gurgling, gushing, glorious fun
What liquid's top of the plops at number one?
Be saturated not dehydrated
Go with the flow
It's H2O

It's in the waves of the oceans
In the tide of the seas
In the wet of our sweat
And in the `achoooooooooo' of your sneeze
It's in coffee, milkshakes, juice and teas
Turning to steam at one hundred degrees
Though at zero you can watch it freeze
I'm so thirsty, pour me a glass of water please
Go with the flow
It's H2O