The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

The Comeback Kid

Listen to Carmella ...
I am the comeback kid,
Fell down so many times,
But always stood up,
Pushed, skidding into the mud,
Yet always kept my head above,
Last in every race -
I’m running at a different kind of pace.
At the gate, I’m quiet, some say meek,
Never been tempted by any type of clique.

When I’m at home,
I switch off the lights,
And I close the blinds,
I walk barefoot and try to be kind.
I listen to music,
My body drifts into blue acoustics,
Though I make mistakes,
I wear them with grace.
I don’t try to be liked,
I resent all kinds of spite,
I wear what I like,
I don’t resemble any particular type.

You can’t catch me,
I’m billowing free.
Like a wave to be surfed,
A wind that has blown,
A paint that has splashed,
A swaying gymnastics sash.

You will never get to me,
I rest in two directions,
The up and the down,
The joy and the pain.

I am the comeback kid – and I fell so many times, but always stood up again!

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!