The Red Headed Man

I was walking around the lagoon one day, thinking that I hadn't written many poems that year when this couplet popped into my head: "He cleaned his teeth and went to bed. He went to bed and cleaned his teeth." I straight away saw that this could be the central structure for a poem, probably a poem for children, probably a picture book with one verse to each page. Yes! Has it been done before? Who cares?

I sought around for a suitable subject and fixed on the red headed man because red rhymes with bed, which gives us the start of the day. It then follows that the poem should follow the events of the day for this man. I experimented with a few options but as soon as he met Mary the die was cast! Et Voila!

Some may think that this poem is not ideal for children since it follows a man picking up a woman, taking her to the pub and then home to his bed but I think it's quite innocent really: They like each other, they have a fun time, he cooks her dinner, she wants to stay. Where's the harm in that?

All that is left now is to illustrate it. Perhaps Anna might help?

There once was a man whose hair was red,
He stretched and yawned and jumped out of bed.
He jumped out of bed and stretched and yawned,
And watched the glow as the new day dawned.

He threw on some clothes and picked up his hat,
He combed his hair and patted his cat.
He patted his cat and combed his hair,
And went to the kitchen and sat on his chair.

He fried up some bacon as neat as could be,
He toasted some bread and poured some hot tea.
He poured some hot tea and toasted some bread,
And glanced at the paper that he hadn't read.

He found he was bored so he wandered outside,
He swung both his arms and broke into stride.
He broke into stride and swung both his arms,
And sang as he passed the neighbours' farms.

"Oh tooralee, how happy I be!
I feel so alive and I love what I see.
I love what I see and I feel so alive,
On a day such as this I can flourish and thrive."

He sang and he danced as he passed on his way,
He talked to the sheep and he rolled in the hay.
He rolled in the hay and he talked to the sheep,
And happened on Mary beside a scrapheap.

"What is it thou doest, young Mary so gay?"
"I'm thinking of love and gathering hay.
I'm gathering hay and thinking of love.
I'm ready to marry and bright as a dove."

"Don't mention that word." quoth he with a grin,
"I don't need no wife and I don't need no kin.
I don't need no kin and I don't need no wife,
I'm happy inside and I like my own life."

"But come walk with me and when all is done,
We'll both feel fine and we'll have us some fun.
We'll have us some fun and we'll both feel fine,
We'll eat and be merry and drink some good wine."

"You know what?" said she, and gave him a wink,
"My life is a bore, I'm beginning to think.
I'm beginning to think that my life is a bore,
Perhaps I will see what you have in store."

So they strolled arm in arm through the violet haze,
They sang and they talked and watched the sheep graze.
They watched the sheep graze, they sang and they talked,
As they ambled and rambled, meandered and walked.

They went to the tavern and sampled the wares,
They flirted and laughed, and recked not of cares.
They recked not of cares and flirted and laughed,
Quaffing the wine and draining the draft.

As evening approached they repaired to his house,
Where she patted his cat and fed his pet mouse.
She fed his pet mouse and patted his cat,
He cooked while she talked and the fire it spat.

They felt so content in the flickering gloom,
As they washed up and dried in the warmth of that room.
In the warmth of that room as they washed up and dried,
A flower it grew as their hearts opened wide.

"I fain would remain." said she with a heave,
"You make me feel good and I don't want to leave.
I don't want to leave and you make me feel good,
So let's be the couple we know that we should."

"Let's sleep on that thought." said he in his stead,
As they put out the light and got into bed.
They got into bed and put out the light,
And slept like logs all through the long night.

Warren Mars - July 2022