Tugs and Tales
The brush gets stuck in my hair.
Where did this knot come from? Dad asks.
Playing pirates at the beach, I tell him.
There were dragons too.
And this sticky bit?
Triple decker mint choc chip ice cream.
It was yummy
and windy.
Dad inspects a clump below my left ear.
What about this hard bit?
Might be glue. I made a pom pom animal when we got home.
A koala with tufty ears.
They fell off.
Twice.
Dad carefully picks at the knotty mess.
Your hair’s had quite a day, he says.
The best, I tell him.
Where did this knot come from? Dad asks.
Playing pirates at the beach, I tell him.
There were dragons too.
And this sticky bit?
Triple decker mint choc chip ice cream.
It was yummy
and windy.
Dad inspects a clump below my left ear.
What about this hard bit?
Might be glue. I made a pom pom animal when we got home.
A koala with tufty ears.
They fell off.
Twice.
Dad carefully picks at the knotty mess.
Your hair’s had quite a day, he says.
The best, I tell him.
This poem is copyright (©) Hazel Knox 2023

About the Writer
Hazel Knox
Hazel loves writing poems and stories for children. She was very proud to be a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awardee in 2021 and is equally proud to be a children’s occupational therapist. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hazel’s hobbies include running, sometimes for fun but mostly because she’s late, and looking for her phone that she’s put down somewhere.
Twitter: @hazel_knox