Pockets
By S M Chen, posted 7-7-16 by D Kovacs
~For a grandson~
Pockets are a wonderful thing.
They hold a little piece of string
And little balls and little jacks
(They’re not so good for shiny tacks
And other sharp things like small nails
Or slimy things like little snails).
*
Pockets are good to have in pants,
Shirts and jackets. If you put ants
Inside a pocket, they won’t stay;
They will crawl out that very day.
So you should not put bugs and such
In pockets; they don’t like it much.
If you put in something that’s alive
It’s dark in there; it may not thrive.
And if you put in something wet
Your mom is sure to be upset.
And she really does not much care
For toads or frogs to be in there.
*
What else goes into a pocket?
Perhaps a small Davy Crockett,
Faded photo in a locket,
Or tiny car, boat, or rocket.
A little stone, a card or two,
A stick of gum for you to chew.
Piece of paper on which you wrote
A secret code, or teacher’s note.
*
But what goes in there has to fit.
In pants, too much and you can’t sit.
In shirts it seems to matter less,
Although too much still makes a mess.
*
Pockets hold some coins and money.
So much stuff it isn’t funny.
Sunglasses, or maybe cell phone.
The phone won’t likely be alone.
Something to write with, like a pen.
You never know you might write when.
*
Different kinds of sweets and candy.
For holding, pockets are most handy.
They let both of your hands be free
As hands should almost always be.
And let you carry around stuff;
It seems you never have enough.
*
And some are big and some are small.
Some are hardly pockets at all.
In different shape they sometimes come;
And more useful than others are some.
Some are narrow and some are wide.
Wide ones allow more stuff inside.
Some are shallow and some are deep.
Deep ones permit more things to keep.
*
So when you buy a pants or shirt
Do look for pockets, which won’t hurt
To have, for I think it is wise
(And this should come as no surprise)
To have a pocket for which you
Might have no need (or think you do);
Like the spare tire that may be new.
*
Do I love pockets? I sure do.
S M Chen lives and writes in California.
