Ode to the kitchen table

Kitchen table, kitchen table,
How do you remain so stable?
Through it all, the spills, the mess,
You are my rock, I must confess.

There to greet me as a new day dawns
I sit by your side and tiredly yawn.
You’ve seen it all – the laughs the tears
My constant companion these past five years.

I grip you when I’m on the verge,
When the tears and frustration start to surge.
You help me count from one to ten
Until I finally feel calm again.

Sometimes you share a party with glamour and fuss
But often it is just the two of us,
As I sweep around your splattered legs
Gathering peas and crusts of bread.

I tidy endless meals away
And crafty things from an hour of play.
But sometimes I make you look really fine
With candles and napkins and bottles of wine.

Kitchen table you’ve seen it all,
You’ve watched me rise, you’ve watched me fall.
You’re just about perfect (apart from the mark on one edge)
I keep you shiny with a quick squirt of Pledge.

We spend a lot of time together, you and me
Usually at breakfast, dinner and tea.
You watch as I coax the children to eat,
And sigh as I sweep their dinner from under your feet.

Kitchen table, friend of mine
So much more than a place to sit and dine.
So, I raise my mug and my slice of toast,
See you at the weekend for a Sunday roast.

Inspired by the excellent Josie at Sleep Is For The Weak who hosts a fabulous weekly Writing Workshop. Her prompt to look at, and write about, a room in your house led me to the kitchen table!

Ode to the kitchen table

Priceless

Flashing shoes: €28
Lightening McQueen duvet cover: €10
Scooter: €20
Fireman Sam fire engine: €15

The look on a small boy’s face when his beloved soft toy has been painstakingly sewn back together: priceless

There are some things money can buy. For everything else there’s mummy.

Priceless

When I grow up I want to be a……Writer!

Well, I’m almost grown up and am (finally) on the way to being a writer, so when the people behind innocent kids drinks told me about their latest venture to discover young writing talent, I was very keen to get involved.

innocent have teamed up with acclaimed children’s author Francesca Simon, author of the excellent ‘Horrid Henry’ books, to get children across Ireland and the UK involved in creating a series of 26 stories.

Francesca has written the opening lines to each of these 26 stories, but starting on Monday 19th October, she is handing the rest of the story over to the kids! Who knows what will happen next?!

Every day, until 13th November, children can log onto www.innocentkids.com/magnets select a letter of the alphabet which takes their fancy and continue Francesca’s story.

Each day, the winning line from each story submitted will be selected with prizes awarded to the winner. The competition then starts all over again the following day so there are plenty of chances to get involved.

What a great way to encourage creativity and inspire young minds to ‘get writing’.

For further details of rules and prizes, visit the website www.innocentkids.com/magnets

Good luck everybody. Who knows - we may discover the next Francesca Simon or J K Rowling! Now, get writing!

When I grow up I want to be a……Writer!