#NationalPoetryDay

Illustrations by Kelly McCarthy-Wright

Have you heard about my granny’s shoes?
They’re just for the garden, but always look new
They live in a cupboard next to the door
A comfortable, practical, golden size four

A miracle happens each time they’re worn
Toes twitch and then tingle - old feet feel reborn
Then guess what happens? Shall I give you a clue?
This is what golden gardening shoes do:

They make weeds disappear
And brambles all clear
They can tidy up shrubs
And get rid of grubs

They plant bulbs in the spring
And make the birds sing
They can water the flowers
For hours and hours

You see, my granny’s shoes have got magical powers.

I once saw them skip through the vegetable plot
Through the carrots, cabbages, chard and shallots
They dug and they teased and they plucked from the ground
The juiciest, most succulent veg to be found

Then they waltzed to the greenhouse to fertilize seeds
And waved to the worms as they composted weeds
Then straddled the mower and whizzed round the lawn
Dodging the molehills and beeping the horn

But what made them magical? Nobody knew
Until one afternoon, I looked for a clue…
I waited ‘till granny had fallen asleep
Then crept to the cupboard – just for a peep

I kicked off my trainers, threw socks to the floor
Slipped on the shoes and stepped out of the door
But nothing was happening, no magical jig
They just felt like old shoes, four sizes too big

No birds started singing, no brambles were cleared
They just felt like old shoes – but golden and weird
I started to wonder, did I dream this whole thing?
I mean, gardening shoes that make the birds sing…?

Then granny stretched out and lazily yawned
And the realisation suddenly dawned
I’d found out the answer, the penny had dropped
I knew why, when I wore them, the magic just stopped

So I ran back inside, I just couldn’t wait
I wanted to dance and to celebrate
“Wake up granny, wake up – I’ve got wonderful news
It’s YOU that’s magical, not the shoes!”