Simone the Cat (Stories and Poems For Children)

I have written several collections of stories and poems for children, inspired by the companionship of my cats Simon and Simone and by my imagination.  Enjoy the following excerpts.

As A Child

at first I did not know
the names of trees
I loved the wind
the garden breeze
watched and waved
to the trains passing by
while I watered
peach and plum tree
the small child pond
the West Los Angeles sun
our home
on Ashby Lane

Meow Meow

at teatime we chat
about our cats
Sam will hide
when a guest appears
who knows why
its not real clear
while Claire
will simply climb upon
any lap that comes along
Nini prances
for a song
performing solo
for one or for a throng
yet my favorite cat
is sweet Simone
because she lives with me
content at home.

I wrote Imagine That!  (a collection of stories and poems for young children) during the summer of 1987, when I was a live-in nanny for two toddlers, in Amherst, Massachusetts.  Here are some excerpts.

Because of You

because of you
I feel so good
when we go for a walk
in our neighborhood

or take a ride
to a sandy beach
or watch the stars
before it’s time to sleep

because of you
I love to play
inside the house
on a rainy day

because of you
I am beginning to see
that I can be happy
by simply being me.

The Owie

today I hurt my knee
when I was stung
by a bee

mommy kissed me
and she also
kissed my knee

later, she put on a band-aid
and she gave me a glass of fresh lemonade
I hope I never get stung
again by a bee
and so does my knee.

Mr. Cat

Mr. Cat is very very fat

Mr. Cat is very very furry

His fur is white and brown

In fact, he is not our cat

He belongs to our neighbor, May
Who lives across the way.

When he comes over to visit, we play

And I always wish he would stay.

The Searchlight

Dancing across the sky at night

The rays of a long white searchlight

What is it looking for?

What is it trying to see?

I can see the searchlight

Do you think that it can see me?