Callum and Lucy

[ragashree]

It’s now been a year, and we’ve lived in a dream –
When they crawl, when they walk, when they laugh, when they scream,
Our joy and delight we dare hardly believe –
And if only appearances did not deceive
Our loveliest, perfectest, wonderfulest twins
Would each wear a halo and bright angel’s wings!

But there will come a time (though it seems quite obscene!)
When Callum and Lucy will be seventeen.


So since our two darlings drew their first sweet breath,
We’ve worried, and hustled, and flustered to death,
And read all the books, and spent weeks on the Net –
As responsible parents we must not forget
To take all proper forethought about our new car,
And a top-of-the Range Rover is safer BY FAR!

Now, don’t get me wrong, as it’s Good to be Green,
But Callum and Lucy must reach seventeen.


No trade can quite pay if you don’t have the tools –
So we’ve booked ahead at the Right Kind of Schools,
Which aren’t quite the type that our friends might debate –
More on the salubrious side of the State,
(We know who to ask, so it’s best to make sure)
And anyone saying our foot’s in the door

Is stupid, misguided, plain selfish, and mean!
As Uni will beckon when they’re seventeen.


Some parents deck kids out in any old pap,
But ours shall wear Guichi, Versace… and Gap.
And if some far tailors are sickly and poor,
We should all do our bit, and pay rather more,
As they’ll get it somehow – but if there’s still doubt,
Well, no proper parent makes kids go without:

And no child of ours shall be late on the scene –
Not when they’re just one, or when they’re seventeen.


But there’s more than one way to show kids who cares –
Our bonds are in Trust… and our stock is in Shares,
And, as it’s all needed, and systems are lax,
It seems only right to hang on to that tax –
Though time was, at Uni, we thought this Bad Sport,
We’ve now quite grown up, and have kids to support:

As times may well prosper, and times may be lean,
But Callum and Lucy will be seventeen.


There’s just so many ways to show kids how you care –
And the best of the rest is our Russian au pair.
It’s lovely to have the sweet girl over here
But they will take the P if you’re not FIRM and CLEAR –
So we’ve set her to iron, and to cook, and to clean,
And always tell us where she’s going or been.

Which some may think cruel – but we don’t give a bean,
As we know what’s best when she’s just seventeen.


As modern, responsible, good parents do
We’d love to have more, but we’ll stop at just two.
The world’s grown so crowded, it’s now quite a crime
To go forth and multiply time after time.
And then (quite besides) it gets hard to afford
All the things they require besides Bed and Board.

But this suits us fine – as it’s Good to be Green,
And Callum, and Lucy, will be seventeen.


Our two precious dears must have only the best,
And the value of this shall be put to the test
When they stride proudly out on Society’s stage –
Don’t doubt they’ll have learnt how to pay back in spades
From the gifts they’ve recieved, by the structure we’ve wrought,
But all above all, the example we’ve taught!

It won’t be too long, and you’ll see what I mean
When Callum, and Lucy, have turned seventeen.