Two poems for children by Charles Hughes

If It Were March

If it were March—say, early March—a day

Much more like late-June days, the sun

Warm, waking up as if to say,

“Spring’s off, summer’s begun!”—

Which would, with spring in the wings, be out of whack,

A little premature as yet—

Your thoughts might leap ahead, then back

To days you won’t forget.

You might remember summer words, might find

Words hidden away since winter’s start

Returning now—words called to mind

For things you know by heart:

Lake, woods, dark nights, bright stars, breeze in tall trees,

Beach, raft, steep slide, sand, picnic, ants.

The mind replays good memories

If given half a chance.

If You Had Been There

The famous appearance of a boy and girl—a very long time ago,

in the Village of Woolpit, in Suffolk, England—both of them

wearing unfamiliar clothing and speaking an unknown language,

both with green skin—has never been fully explained.

If you had been there on the day

The two green children first appeared,

What do you think you would have done?

A priest might have knelt down to pray.

A doctor might have looked up weird

Diseases, then advised more sun.

You would have been more practical,

Knowing the world a child knows,

The frightened children’s quiet mood,

That it’s a hard thing, feeling small

And strange and far from home. Clean clothes,

Warm smile, warm place to sleep, some food—

You would, at least, have offered these,

Knowing they’re all necessities.

Charles Hughes

Charles Hughes has published two books of poems, The Evening Sky (2020) and Cave Art (2014), both from Wiseblood Books. He is lately writing poems for children.