The Blank Page and the Pencil and Me
Look at me! Look at me!
The new page in my book is shouting at me.
I can be anything you want me to be!
What shall we be today?
Put me in your hand! Put me in your hand!
My pencil is saying, I’m a magic wand!
We can go anywhere – air, sea or land.
Where shall we go today?
But the last time we tried this it turned out bad.
When the pencil saw the page it went crazy bonkers mad.
It made squiggles and smudges everywhere until the page was sad.
So I think I might just keep still today.
No! the pencil says, it won’t be like that this time.
I’ve learned my lesson, and today I promise I’m
going to write proper words, maybe even ones that rhyme.
Please pick me up today!
And the page says, it’s OK, now I really don’t mind
If my plainness gets lined and my whiteness gets grimed,
because I can’t wait to see whatever we’ll find.
Please let’s have an adventure today!
What shall I do? What shall I do?
I don’t’ want make a mess I can’t undo
but I really do want to try something new.
What shall I do today?
The new page in my book is shouting at me.
I can be anything you want me to be!
What shall we be today?
Put me in your hand! Put me in your hand!
My pencil is saying, I’m a magic wand!
We can go anywhere – air, sea or land.
Where shall we go today?
But the last time we tried this it turned out bad.
When the pencil saw the page it went crazy bonkers mad.
It made squiggles and smudges everywhere until the page was sad.
So I think I might just keep still today.
No! the pencil says, it won’t be like that this time.
I’ve learned my lesson, and today I promise I’m
going to write proper words, maybe even ones that rhyme.
Please pick me up today!
And the page says, it’s OK, now I really don’t mind
If my plainness gets lined and my whiteness gets grimed,
because I can’t wait to see whatever we’ll find.
Please let’s have an adventure today!
What shall I do? What shall I do?
I don’t’ want make a mess I can’t undo
but I really do want to try something new.
What shall I do today?
This poem is copyright (©) Hilary Elder 2023

About the Writer
Hilary Elder
You can find Hilary's work in the winter Caterpillar and also the first edition of Tyger Tyger online magazine, which also has teacher resources for Hilary's mirrored poem, found on the website and also on TES.