The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Spicy Feet

Listen to Sarah read her poem ...
I’m at the dinner table,
My toes are strangely icy.
And now both feet are feeling odd - they’re hot and sharp and spicy!

It feels like they’re electric,
I jump out of my chair!
The feeling’s creeping upwards! It makes my brother stare.

The toad is laughing at me!
I dance around the room.
“Have you got pins and noodles!?” comes his mocking voice of doom!

My brother’s showing off now,
He thinks he’s really smart!
The ‘pins’ bit does make some sense, but not the ‘noodles’ part!

Noodles would be softer,
They’d squidge between my toes,
But this feels sharp and spiky - raw noodles, I suppose?

However can I cure it?!
I’m leaping now, and jumping!
So Mum says, “Sit and rub them, to get the blood flow pumping.”

My brother’s pulling faces.
He’s being really mean.
SAVE ME FROM PINS AND NOODLES! Hasn’t mum got any cream?

I’m on the floor and squirming!
I squeal and screech and scream!
My feet are hot AND freezing! It’s a horrid, itchy dream!

SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!
SAY I NEED URGENT CARE!
My legs are going to fall off! I may lose all my hair!

My eyeballs could just pop out!
My heart might miss a beat!
If the spiciness continues to rise up from my feet!

They feel a bit less tangy,
Less prickly than the start.
I take a breath and Mum asks, “Feel better now, sweetheart?”

“I’m weak,” I say whilst limping,
“I better eat some food.”
(My favourite, baked potato, not to eat it would be rude!)

My brother sticks his tongue out
As I go back to my seat.
I really hope, one day, he’ll feel the pain of spicy feet!

About the Writer


Sarah Dollar

Sarah has written stories for as long as she can remember. She's had poetry published in anthologies, written cryptic clues for crosswords that were sold as part of an art project in London, and was long-listed in the 2021 Stratford-Salariya Picture Book prize. Sarah studied with Lou Treleaven, Amy Sparkes and is currently a mentee of Clare Welsh.