The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Asleep on the Hay

The night was almost silent. In the house,
no sounds of creatures stirring could be heard.
All little lives – the beetle, flea and louse –
were snoozing, so it seemed. And every bird
within its nest, amidst the garden trees,
was also deep in slumbers at this time.
The winter air, without a hint of breeze,
was still. But in the hutch, a tiny rhyme
of grunts was coming from a guinea pig,
a pregnant sow named Truffle for her hair.
She stretched and strained to birth each mini-pig,
delivered in a sac, unwrapped with care.
A quiet quintet of squeaks began to play,
and then the babies slept upon the hay.
Picture by Felicity's dad
Picture by Felicity's dad

About the Writer


Felicity Teague

Felicity Teague (Fliss for short) lives in Cheltenham, not far from Pittville Park and its wonderful wildlife. She has a very serious job in publishing and enjoys writing poems during her playtime. Her poetry has appeared in a number of journals and two years ago she published a first collection, From Pittville to Paradise. Her second collection is due out next year. She also enjoys art, birdwatching, films, music, and photography.