All Poems Copyright 1988
Joan Dobbie


Fifty Seven Poems
written in the voices of 2 children
Age 5
**********************************************************

Introduction:

Jaymee & Amber are two imaginary kids from the real city of Eugene, Oregon. They are very specifically West Coast kids of the decades surrounding the millennium. They don’t have a traditional family, but they do have a strong sense of family, & while both of them have single moms (Amber’s mom has a live-in boyfriend) & no solid relationship with their biological fathers, they do have real & meaningful relationships with their moms, & their moms’ friends & lovers, with each other & with their schoolmates & pets. Each situation is unique. I hope biological fathers who are there for their kids (& there are many!) don’t feel slighted. In any case, Jaymee & Amber’s stories are, I think, meaningful to many children today--as well as to adults who once were children & haven’t forgotten.

Both Amber & Jaymee are 5 years old, & what is special about them is that they both write poetry-- sometimes real poetry. What Amber & Jaymee know about poetry is this: they know that when you write a poem it doesn’t always matter if the things you say are true, but it does matter that the feelings are true. And it doesn’t really matter if the grammar you use is right, but it does matter that the sound feels right.

I think children of any age and of many backgrounds will find Jaymee & Amber worth knowing. Then, after getting to know Jaymee & Amber’s poems, they may well begin writing some poetry of their own-- sometimes real poetry.


Sincerely,
Joan Dobbie

**********************************************************

I LOVE IT WHEN WE GO TO THE COAST
by Jaymee

I love it when we go to the Coast.
sometimes we go hike on the Dunes

& we roll down.

Sometimes we go see the seals
over by Strawberry Hill.

They bark like dogs.
I love dogs.

I love cats too.

Sometimes people have dogs on
the beach.

Sometimes they have kites,
great big ones with long

flappy tails.
One time we were out by

Heceta Head Lighthouse & I
was poking around

in the tide pools.
This great big wave came in

& it dumped a girl
right into my tide pool.

Me & her got to be friends.
Her name is Amber.

Then this guy said we could go
ride on his kite

& we took off way up in the sky.

**********************************************************

I CAN SWIM
by Amber

I can swim with my eyes open.
I can swim with my eyes wide open.

I can swim anytime
--anywhere!

I can swim in the Hot Springs.
I can swim in the Coldest Ocean

if I want to.

I can swim with no hands
& with no feet

if I want to.

I can swim down to the bottom
of the river

& catch pollywogs.

I can swim in the Y-pool
faster than grown-ups.

I can swim under water
& I don’t ever have to breathe.

**********************************************************

SOMETIMES BY MYSELF
by Jaymee

Sometimes when I walk
by myself

a door opens up
inside of me.

It’s like a door into my heart.

My heart is a big white room &
there are kittens in there.

They can all talk.
They have teeny little voices.

Some of them are blue
& pink & yellow & purple.

Some of them are rainbow.
Some are black.

Sometimes I wish I could
take a kitten

out of there.
I’d teach it tricks

& sleep with it at night.

**********************************************************

SOMETIMES MARK COMES TO VISIT MY MOM
by Jaymee

Sometimes Mark comes to visit my Mom.
Then we go to the Coast & the Hot Springs.

We go sliding down the Dunes.
Sometime we might even go to California

with Mark.
He says he might take us to Disneyland

& Knottsberry Farm.
He says he’ll take me on the Matterhorn.

Mark always holds my hand when we walk places.
He holds one hand & my Mom holds the other.

I like it when Mark visits.
He might even come visit today.

**********************************************************

BRUCE’S CABIN
by Jaymee

Sometimes we go stay with Bruce
in the cabin

& I get to sleep in the tower.
I have to climb up the ladder

& it’s dark.

Bruce holds the lantern
so I can see.

He says, “Be careful.”

I crawl into my sleeping bag.
I like how the walls smell like wood

& I hear little bird feet
walking around over my head.

I dream I can fly.
I fly higher than trees.

Then I open my eyes.
“Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!”

Good morning, birds.

**********************************************************

MY DOG HAD PUPPIES
by Amber

My dog had puppies
all over the floor.

My Mom said, “I’m going crazy
with all these puppies.”

She made a puppy fence out of
chairs & things.

One time Jaymee stayed over.
We opened the puppy fence

& they ran all over the place
making puddles.

We yelled,
“Puppy escape! Puppy escape!”

When my Mom came down
she said, “Oh no. Oh no.”

Me & Jaymee
were laughing so hard!

**********************************************************

NO DAD IN MY HOUSE
by Jaymee

Sometimes I wish
I had a Dad.

Other kids say,
“He doesn’t have a Dad.

Ha. Ha.”

That makes me
want to cry.

**********************************************************

SOMETIMES MY MOM HITS ME
by Jaymee

Sometimes my Mom hits me.
I don’t know why.
She just gets mad
& she hits me.

It makes me cry.
I don’t know why she does it.
She just gets mad
& she makes me

sit in my room.
I don’t want to.
I didn’t do anything.
Sometimes I wish

I was bigger than her.
Then I’d hit her.
I’d make her
sit in her room.

Then when she was done
crying I’d come in.
I’d say, “Are you done now?”
She wouldn’t say anything.

She’d be scared
because I was so big.

**********************************************************

SOMETIMES MY MOM WON’T TALK TO ME
by Amber

Sometimes my Mom gets into
meditating

& then she won’t talk to me.
She just sits on the floor

for a long long time going
OM OM OM OM OM

& she won’t talk to me.
Then she stands on her head

for a long long long time.
I hate it

when she won’t talk.

**********************************************************

MY MOM & PHIL
by Amber

sometimes my Mom & Phil
yell at each other.

If they ever do it again
I’ll get so mad

I’ll just kick them right out!

I don’t care if they bang
on the door

& make noise.

I’ll just say, “If you two
can’t cooperate

then you can’t get
back in.”

Then they’ll stop yelling.

**********************************************************

ONE TIME MY MOM SAID
by Jaymee

One time my Mom said,
“This is David, Jaymee.

He’s your real Dad.”
I didn’t say anything.

Then David said,,
“Hello Jaymee.”

I said,
“He looks like me.”

That’s what I said
to my Mom.

**********************************************************

WHEN PHIL YELLS
by Amber

When Phil yells
I think he’s a Monster.

My stomach hurts
& my head hurts & my throat

doesn’t swallow.

When Phil sings I think
he’s a Bunny.

I think I’m a bunny.
When Phil sings

everybody is Bunnies.

**********************************************************


MOMS
by Amber

Sometimes my Mom & Jaymee’s Mom
sit & drink tea in the kitchen.

Mostly they talk about
boyfriends.

Sometimes they talk about us
like we weren’t there.

“I wish Phil was better
with Amber,” says my Mom.

“Well, at least he’s there,”
says Jaymee’s Mom.

Me & Jaymee just sit & watch T.V.
We don’t say anything.

**********************************************************

I HAD A BLACK DOG
by Amber

I had a black dog
that I loved more than anything.

One time a car came & hit it.
Sometimes I think if I be really good

then my dog will come back alive.

I never tell anybody what I think
about my dog.

**********************************************************

ONE TIME WHEN I WAS VERY VERY LITTLE
by Jaymee

One time when I was very very little
it was early
early in the morning.

It wasn’t even light yet, but
I heard my Mom in my room.

I heard crackly
paper noises & I opened my eyes.

My Mom kissed me on my mouth & said
“Ssh. go back to sleep.”

Later she came back in.
She said, “Wake up! Wake up! It’s

your BIRTHDAY!”

I sat up & there were presents everywhere.

**********************************************************

AMBER SAYS BOYS CAN’T WEAR BARRETTES
by Jaymee

Amber says boys can’t wear barrettes
but sometimes my Mom puts barrettes
in my hair.

She says it gets in my eyes.
Amber says, “You’re not a boy then.”

I know I’m a boy.

**********************************************************

THE FOOD STAMP OFFICE
by Jaymee

When we go to the food Stamp Office
& Amber comes too

then we have to sit
& be quiet

for hours & hours.
Then we get sick of it.

Sometimes we be babies.
We get on all fours & we

crawl around
under the table.

We bump into people’s knees.
Sometimes we be puppies

& we bite people’s ankles.
We go
R-R-R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-

& the people shake their feet around
but they can’t make us stop.

**********************************************************

SOMETIMES THE PHONE RINGS
by Jaymee

Sometimes the phone rings
& when my Mom is done talking

she is so happy that

she grabs me & hugs me
& we dance

all over the room.

We dance & dance right off the floor.
We dance in happy circles

like sunshine.

**********************************************************

SOMETIMES I GO TO SCHOOL
by Amber

Sometimes I go to school.
Sometimes I go to daycare.

I like school better
because we read

& I like daycare better
because-- T.V.

**********************************************************

ONE TIME MY MOM
by Jaymee

One time my Mom
was crying.

I reached way up
& I kissed her.

She stopped crying.
She said,

“Thank you, Jaymee.”

**********************************************************
WHEN I WAS REAL LITTLE
by Jaymee

When I was real little
I used to go to Daycare.

We used to yell & run
& make lots of noise.

We had nap time
& then we’d be quiet.

We had blocks too & one time
I made a big tower.

It was taller than me.
This big kid knocked it down though.

Sometimes the big kids
hit me, but mostly they didn’t.

One time my Mom didn’t come
for a long time.

I was the only one left,
me & the teacher.

Then my Mom said,
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Then she took me out
for ice cream.

**********************************************************

CAT & BIRD
by Jaymee

One time our cat Peter
brought a bird

into the house.
It was a big blue Scrub Jay

& it was screaming & screaming.
My Mom caught Peter

& made him open his mouth.
The Jay was scared stiff.

It wouldn’t move.
Then my Mom made it drink water.

It got all crazy.
It started screaming & jumping

& it bit my Mom.
She wrapped it up

in a towel & we took it
out to the Cemetery.

We opened the towel
& the Jay flew

straight up into a tree.
All the other Jays

were in there yelling
at it.

They were yelling,
“Welcome back! Welcome back!”

**********************************************************

A GORY STORY
by Jaymee

When me & Mark &
Amber’s Mom & my Mom
& Phil & Amber &
me

went to the Hot Springs
we had our best time
ever!

it got so hot like soup
with bubbles
& Amber said,
“Look! Jaymee’s all red.”

My Mom said, “He looks
like a Lobster!”

Mark said, “Guess we’ll have
to eat him up.”

Then Mark grabbed my big toe
& ate it right up.

My Mom ate my other toes.

Them Amber’s Mom ate my nose.

Amber ate my head.

Then Mom ate my Belly Button.
So did Mark.
So did Phil.

Then they ate up my insides & my heart
& my eyeballs.

Pretty soon I was
all gone.

**********************************************************

MY MOM HATES WORK
by Amber

After she puts on her uniform
my Mom says,

“I don’t want to go,
I really really don’t want to go.”

I say, “O.K. Don’t go.”

She says, “I have to.”
Then she goes.

**********************************************************

IF I WAS BIGGER THAN MY MOM
by Amber

If I was bigger than my Mom
I’d be nicer than her.

I’d never go anyplace without her.
I’d never leave her alone

& go someplace with Phil.
I wouldn’t go to work either.

We’d go everywhere together.
We’d go out for ice cream

& we’d go swimming
& roller skating
& we’d climb the butte

& we’d go all the way out
to Valley River Shopping Center

& I’d buy her 10 new bathing suits
& a cinnamon roll & 5 new dresses.

Then when we got home
I’d take her on my lap

because she’d be so tired.
I’d kiss her & cuddle her &

tell her she was a good Mom.
I’d braid her hair.

I’d put lipstick on her
& perfume.

Then when it was bedtime
I’d sit next to hr bed.

I wouldn’t turn off the light either.
I’d read her stories all night long.

**********************************************************

ONE TIME GRANDMA’S CAT HAD KITTENS
by Jaymee

One time Grandma’s cat had kittens.
First they were all slimy

but then they got cute.
One had pink eyes.

One had big fluffy wings.
That one was my favorite.

After it learned how to fly
it used to fly all over my room.

When it got tired of flying
it crawled into bed with me.

I let it sleep under the covers.
It kept my feet warm.

**********************************************************

THE POUND
by Jaymee

Did you ever go to the Pound?
They have cages & cages

of cats & dogs & stuff.
Mostly they are sleeping.

Sometimes they are
trying to get out.

My Mom calls it Doggy Jail
but it’s Kitty Jail too.

We got Peter out of there.

When I get big
I’m going to get all of them out.

I’m going to say,
“No more Pound in this town!”

Then I’ll make a Wild Forest there
where there used to be the Pound.

**********************************************************

ONE TIME MY GRANDMA CALLED
by Jaymee

One time my Grandma called.
She said,

“You want to come visit?
We miss you all the time.”

My Mom said I could
so I rode on the airplane

all by myself.
First I was so scared

I spilled chocolate milk
on my lap.

Then I wasn’t scared anymore.
I looked out the window.

I saw teeny cars.
I saw Mount St. Helens.

I saw clouds from the top
like ice cream.

I even saw another Jet Plane
way far away.

When we landed Grandma & Grandpa
were there.

They said, “Were you scared?”
I said, “No, it was so great!”

Grandpa said, “We better go
change your pants.”

**********************************************************

SUPPOSE I’M ALONE
by Amber

Suppose I’m alone & nobody
to play with me.

Maybe my Mom says,
“Let’s do some Yoga.” so

we do the CAMEL &
THE RABBIT & THE FISH.

We hop like frogs.

We lay on our backs &
breathe with our bellies.

When I open my eyes
my Mom

is shining & her eyes
twinkle.

She gives me a giant
Elephant Hug.

Then she has to go
to work.

**********************************************************

I LIKE WHEN THEY’RE SLEEPING
by Amber

Sometimes I wake up
& go into their bed.

I like how the streetlight
shines in

so quiet

& they breathe

like far away wind & it’s warm

& they smell like the sea.

**********************************************************

WITCHES
by Amber

When I’m sick
my Mom calls the Witches.

They give me tea.

Then I get better.

**********************************************************
KIMBY SUNWOMAN
by Amber

Lea goes to my school.
Her stepmom is

KIMBY SUNWOMAN.

She’s a Witch.
Witches are good

my Mom says.
I think so too.

The other day
we had a Solstice Party.

No boys allowed
so Jaymee couldn’t come.

Then we got home
& made Hot Chocolate

for Santa Clause.
Then we made cookies

& it was Christmas Morning
& I got everything

I wanted!

**********************************************************

OUR NEW HOUSE
by Jaymee

One time
the landlord sold

our old house
so we got a new one.

My Mom said,
“This is your new room.

What color should we paint it?”
I said,

“Let’s paint it pink & purple
& yellow & black & blue

& orange & green & violet
& pink polka dots!”

**********************************************************

HIKING
by Jaymee

Sometimes Mom & me go hiking
with Bruce.

Sometimes we go camping.

One time we went all the way
to Colorado.

We hiked & hiked way up
a high Mountain.

I got a headache & Bruce
took me on his shoulders.

Then he said,
“You & Jaymee stay on the trail.

I’m going straight up.”
But we didn’t stay on the trail.

Me & Mom
climbed straight up too.

Then we got lost.
Then it got dark.

We tried to climb down
but we got to a cliff.

We climbed around for a long time.
Then Bruce came.

He had Hot Chocolate.
“I’ve been up & down this Mountain

three times looking for you!”
he said.

Then we all hugged each other.

**********************************************************

BRUCE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT STARS
by Jaymee

Bruce knows everything
about stars.

He points up & he says,
“See that? That’s the Big Bear.

See that? That’s the Little Bear.”
I don’t see Bears in the sky.

I just see stars & stars & stars.
I love to sleep out

when it’s warm & there’s Bruce
& my Mom & the stars.

**********************************************************

MOM CALLS IT ASTROLOGY
by Amber

My Mom says I’m a CRAB.
Jaymee’s a FISH.

“That’s not fair,”
I say,

“I want to be a FISH.”

Then I say,
“What are you, Mom?”

“Oh,” she says,
“I’m an OLD GOAT.

Phil’s an OLD GOAT too.”

**********************************************************

ONE TIME IT WAS PASSOVER
by Jaymee

One time it was Passover
at Grandma & Grandpa’s house.

Me & Grandpa
got to wear Yamakas.

& Grandma kept saying,
“I’m Drunk. I’m Drunk. I’m Drunk.”

“We were all laughing & laughing.

Then we hid the Matzo.
& I got $5.00.

Then we hid it again
& I got $10.00.

Then we hid it again
& I got $100.00.

Then we hid it again
& I got $1000.00.

Then we hid it again
& I got $10000.00.

Then we hid it again
& I got $10000000000000000000000000.00 ! ! !

**********************************************************

ONE TIME MY MOM ATE TOO MUCH
by Jaymee

One time my Mom ate too much.
She said,

“I can’t stand it. I’m going to
P O P ! ! !”

“That’s O.K. Mom, “
I said.

If you POP
I’ll just go live with

Grandma & Grandpa.”

Then she P O P PE D ! ! ! ! ! ! !

**********************************************************
PHIL IS REALLY FAT
by Amber

Phil is really fat.
I mean not just a little

bit fat.
I mean really really fat.

He’s fat as a firetruck.
He’s fat as a Grizzly Whale.

I know
if Phil sat on me

I’d be flat!

**********************************************************

MY MOM WON’T WEAR DRESSES
by Amber

Every day she wears blue jeans.
Sometimes she wears her

wrap-around skirt.
Sometimes she wears her

uniform.

But she never never wears
a regular dress.

I say, “Mom, why don’t you wear
lipstick?

Why don’t you wear a dress?”

“You know what I think,” says Mom.
I think Amber’s got a case

of Yuppy-itis!”

Then she gets the thermometer.

**********************************************************

ONE TIME WE WENT TO A BIRTHING
by Amber

One time we went to a birthing.
It was my Mom’s friend.

There were lots of grown-ups & kids &
we all had to breathe.

We breathed : HUH HUH HUH HUH.
We breathed & breathed & breathed.

Then the baby came out.
Jaymee said it was ugly

but I thought it was cute
like a monkey.

I love monkeys best.

Then we all started singing.
We sang

AMAZING GRACE.
There was so much singing

even the walls started to sing.
Sometimes I think

GOD lives in the walls
& when people sing

HE sings.
My Mom says, “You mean

SHE sings.”

**********************************************************

WHEN I GROW UP
by Amber

When I grow up I’ll never be a nurse.
I won’t get married either.

Maybe I’ll be a Doctor
but mostly
I’ll be an Oceanographer.

I’ll be a famous Swimmer too.

My Mom says, “Why don’t you
take Gymnastics?”

But I take Swimming
every time.

**********************************************************

WE MARCHED ABOUT WAR
by Amber

One time we marched
about War.

Everybody had candles,
even us kids.

Then we put them
in the river.

We had little paper boats
for the candles.

It was dark & the candles
made light

on the water.

Mostly they tipped over.
I think when candles tip over

it’s like people are dying
in the War.

Sometimes I get real scared
about War

& bombs & stuff.

**********************************************************

MARK IS A PILOT
by Jaymee

Mark is a pilot
& he’s got his own private plane

that he flies --
him & some other people.

He says he’ll take me
up in it someday too.

I think someday I’ll be
a pilot like Mark.

I’ll have a Great Big Plane though,
a Jet Plane maybe

or maybe a Rocket Ship --
Maybe a Rocket Ship Company.

I’ll call it: ROCKETS TO JUPITER
& I’ll be Rich RICH RICH

RICH RICH RICH RICH RICH RICH
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

**********************************************************

SOMETIMES I VISIT MY DAD
by Jaymee

sometimes I visit my real Dad
in San Francisco.

He takes me to FISHERMAN’S WHARF
& we buy ice cream.

Then he says, “Want to play
VIDEO GAMES?”

All day we play them.
My Dad gets his name

on the screen.
I say, “Daddy, write

DAD on the screen.” He writes,
DADDADDADDADDADDADDADDAD

**********************************************************
WALKING ON MOM’S BACK
by Amber

Sometimes my Mom hurts her back.
Then she lays on the floor
& we have to walk on it.

We walk on it barefoot.

Her skin is all
wibbly wobbly.

She goes: MMMmmmmm Aaahhhhhhhh MMMmmmmmmm.

We balance like tightrope walkers.
Her bumpy bones

tickle our feet
but we never fall.

**********************************************************

MY MOM IN THE CLOSET
by Jaymee

One time I locked
my Mom in the closet.

I didn’t mean to.
She just went in there

to get my clothes
& the closet door said,

“KICK!!!!”

so my feet did.
Then it was stuck.

She was in there yelling,
“Help! Help! Get me out!”

But I couldn’t get it open.
Then the bus came

& I went to school.

**********************************************************

THE WHEELCHAIR KID
by Jaymee

We have this wheelchair kid
in our school.

She’s real big
& she’s got these little twisty fingers

& she calls her chair
“THAT MEAN MACHINE.”

One time she let me
sit on her lap.

We went up & down the halls.
We went all around the playground.

We went faster than a Race Car.
We went faster than a Jet Plane.

We went so fast
we flew right up over the fence

& we got out of school!

**********************************************************

WHEN WE GO SWIMMING
by Amber

When we go swimming
I turn into a fish.

I wrap my legs
into a tail

& I swim with my tail.
Phil says,

“What are you doing that for?”
so I tell him,

“I’m a mermaid.”

**********************************************************

ONE TIME I WOKE UP IN THE NIGHT
by Amber

One time I woke up in the night
& they were gone.

Their bed was all wrinkled
& empty.

It was freezing cold
like ghosts.

**********************************************************

NO CATS IN OUR NEW HOUSE
by Jaymee

No cats in our new house
so Peter had to go
live with Amber.

Now Amber says,
“He’s my cat.”

I say, “No way,
he’s my cat!”

My Mom says,
“He’s his own cat.”

Peter says,
“Meow.”

“Meow” means,
“I’m Jaymee’s cat.”

**********************************************************

A SECRET EXPERIMENT
by Amber

Sometimes me & Jaymee
cook up

Secret Super Cat Formula XXX

It has milk &

bread & mud &

lots

of salt & pepper

& Food Coloring &

Cat Food.

Peter thinks he wants
to eat it

but then he doesn’t.
We say, “Here Peter. Here Peter.

Have some
Secret Super Cat Formula XXX.”

**********************************************************

WHEN IT RAINS
by Amber

When it rains
we jump in the puddles

& slide in the mud
down Cemetery Hill.

When it snows
we make a big happy snowman.

He’s happy
because he won’t melt

in the snow.

When it’s all sunny
we ride bikes

& we swim
& we swim

& we chase birds

& we catch crabs & we climb rocks

& we swing higher than mountains!

We climb trees & sit on the very tip top.

**********************************************************

OUR GAME
by Jaymee

Me & Amber have this game.
We can step on the chairs

but we can’t step on the floor.

We can jump across couches
but we can’t land

on the floor.

We can sit in the door frames.
We can walk up the walls.

We can stand on the ceiling.
We can fly through the air ! ! !

But we can’t touch the floor.

**********************************************************

SOMEDAY
by Jaymee

Someday I’ll have
my own house

& no landlord!

& I’ll have
600 cats in there.

**********************************************************

SECRET LANGUAGE
by Amber

Me & Jaymee have this
secret language.

In it BIG BEAR
means Phil.

When Jaymee comes over
I say, “BIG BEAR

was real mean today.”
Jaymee says,

“Too bad, we’ll just have to
take him to the Pound!”

**********************************************************

SOMETIMES ME & AMBER
by Jaymee

Sometimes me & Amber
go to this place
where there’s no grown-ups allowed.

It’s our best place in the world
but
if you’re a grown-up
too bad.

You can’t come!

**********************************************************

THE END