Cellotape Man
Listen to Carmella : )
Gracie ripped up my picture of dad.
I'd spent all afternoon drawing him.
I had dressed him in a little orange hat,
Green boots on his feet, and multi-coloured gloves on his hands.
After it happened, I cried - I felt so sad.
Miss King and Miss Jenkins let me play on the corner cushions because of what happened.
And Bella came and held my hand.
Then we all found a roll of cellotape,
We worked together and stuck all the broken pieces back on to the cracks.
My drawing has changed a lot, it’s true,
And it's not the same man I knew and drew,
But now I have a magic, fantastic cellotape man!
I'd spent all afternoon drawing him.
I had dressed him in a little orange hat,
Green boots on his feet, and multi-coloured gloves on his hands.
After it happened, I cried - I felt so sad.
Miss King and Miss Jenkins let me play on the corner cushions because of what happened.
And Bella came and held my hand.
Then we all found a roll of cellotape,
We worked together and stuck all the broken pieces back on to the cracks.
My drawing has changed a lot, it’s true,
And it's not the same man I knew and drew,
But now I have a magic, fantastic cellotape man!
This poem is copyright (©) Carmella de Keyser 2025
About the Writer
Carmella de Keyser
Carmella is from Belsize Park, London but now lives in Essex. She has a History degree from the University of Manchester and writes poetry for both adults and children, exploring her Balkan heritage, identity and feelings of displacement. She co-founded the Harlow Circle of Poetry and you can see some of her work in 'Your Harlow' and in the next edition of 'Dream Catcher Literary Magazine'. She is compiling a children's collection of poems based on all the adventures she has been on with her two children. In her spare time Carmella is a Vegetarian who loves the Beatles, sci-fi and adores animals especially elephants!
