A. A. Milne

Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne came off the bookshelf the other day (there's a great post about books by Sandara Dodd here). A couple of the poems jumped out at me, including this one, which I find to be a good reminder about being present:

Come Out with Me

There's sun on the river and sun on the hill . . .
You can hear the sea if you stand quite still!
There's eight new puppies at Roundabout Farm-
And I saw an old sailor with only one arm!

But everyone says, "Run along!"
(Run along, run along!)
All of them say, "Run along! I'm busy as can be."
Every one says, "Run along,
There's a little darling!"
If I'm a little darling, why don't they run with me?

There's wind on the river and wind on the hill . . .
There's a dark dead water-wheel under the mill!
I saw a fly which had just been drowned-
And I know where a rabbit goes into the ground!

But everyone says, "Run along!"
(Run along, run along!)
All of them say, "Yes, dear," and never notice me.
Every one says, "Run along,
There's a little darling!"
If I'm a little darling, why won't they come and see?

And this one:

The Good Little Girl

It'’s funny how often they say to me, “Jane?
“Have you been a good girl?"
“Have you been a good girl?"
And when they have said it, they say it again,
“Have you been a good girl?"
“Have you been a good girl?"”

I go to a party, I go out to tea
I go to an aunt for a week at the sea
I come back from school or from playing a game;
Wherever I come from, it'’s always the same:
“Well?
“Have you been a good girl, Jane?”

It'’s always the end of the loveliest day:
“Have you been a good girl?"”
“Have you been a good girl?"
I went to the Zoo, and they waited to say:
“Have you been a good girl?"
“Have you been a good girl?"”

Well, what did they think that I went there to do?
And why should I want to be bad at the Zoo?
And should I be likely to say if I had?
So that'’s why it'’s funny of Mummy and Dad,
This asking and asking, in case I was bad,
“Well?
“Have you been a good girl, Jane?”

I don't know much about A. A. Milne's background, but it seems with these two poems he's reminding us to take kids seriously and treat them as we would like to be treated...among other things!