Friday 19 June 2009

Summer Boys

 

The Unseen Playmate

When children are playing alone on the green,

In comes the playmate that never was seen.

When children are happy and smiling and good,

The Friend of the Children comes out of the wood.

Nobody heard him, and nobody saw,

His is a picture you never could draw,

But he's sure to be present, abroad or at home,

When children are happy and playing alone.

He lies in the laurels, he runs on the grass,

He sings when you tinkle the musical glass;

Whene'er you are happy and cannot tell why,

The Friend of the Children is sure to be by!

He loves to be little, he hates to be big,

'Tis he that inhabits the caves that you dig;

'Tis he when you play with your soldiers of tin

That sides with the Frenchmen and never can win.

'Tis he, when at night you go off to your bed,

Bids you go to sleep and not trouble your head;

For wherever they're lying, in cupboard or shelf,

'Tis he will take care of your playthings himself!

Robert Louis Stevenson

 

15 comments:

Delwyn said...

Tessa
how lovely and refreshing...

Happy days

Rosaria Williams said...

What lovely children, and sweet words to describe childhood.

Debra Keirce said...

Lovely video...I love that preschool age. Stevenson's poem is just beautiful.

Val said...

loved that poem thanks! and i cant download the videos but am sure it is gorgeous x

Natalie said...

Oh,yes I relate. Lovely, Tessa.xx♥

karen said...

I enjoyed the poem! I can't see the video either, but the words are just as good! x

Irene said...

...and just who are these little handsome people we are looking at? Are they small relatives of yours? Are they your sister's children maybe? I love the ages they are, when they are still so innocent and embraceable and you can give them sweet kisses all over their cute little faces. I really wish that time never ended and that I could have captured it forever. That you for those lovely minutes.

Hugs,
Irene

A Cuban In London said...

I had never read that poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. How appropriate for our times. What a reminder of what children are like and the type of freedom we should be encouraring in them! Many, many thanks for this post and for the beautiful clip.

Greetings from London.

xxx said...

very lovely :-)

best wishes
Ribbon

Lori ann said...

So happy! I love R.L.S. so much a poem of his was read at our wedding and we chose Western Samoa as our honeymoon destination for the fact that he lived (so romantic) and was buried there. Ok, we chose it for the surfing and white sand beaches too...hehhee. Love R.L.S.
thanks Tessa ♥

Sarah Lulu said...

Beautiful.

You have an award on my blog.

Val said...

hi Tessa - award for you at mine!x

Grace Albaugh said...

I always love coming here. How uplifting.

Holly said...

Ahh, I'm afraid I thought first of a Spanish horror movie called The Orphanage...

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Everything about this post was perfect: the poem, the music, the photos and those children! They are stupendous!! Are they the youngest generation in the family? Congratulations, they are truly breathtaking.

Ciao sweet friend, it's always such a great pleasure to come here...

Lola xx