It was back one day
In the merry month of May
When little Borris sat and watched TV.
He was a little bored,
And his stomach quietly roared,
So, he went to ask his Mummy – What’s for tea?
As he crept towards the kitchen
He heard lots of clangs and clinging
And a ‘Bother’ and a ‘Drat’ came from his Mother.
Undeterred, he moved in closer,
While she turned and glared with thunder
So he blurted out quite loud – ‘What’s for dinner?’
She stood angrily and stared
Like a big old angry bear
Growling – ‘Go on, get out of my kitchen!
You will eat what we’ll be eating
Nothing extra, nothing missing,
Leave me be, go pester your Grandpa instead.’
Borris turned and walked away
But not to waste his time or play
He went straight into the living room;
There Grandpa softly snored
His false teeth gently gnawed
Until Boris shouted out – ‘Grandpa, What’s for tea?’
Huh Hmmn, said Grandpa raised from slumber
Straightening his crumpled jumper
‘Don’t you know why little boys
Spend time playing with their toys
Not asking questions about the things
Adults spend time – safekeeping?’
‘No!’ said Borris boldly, feeling slightly older,
‘My belly tells me I should know,
That, what and which, I want to know.’
‘Well, to find out what’s for tea
Is a jolly little story
That tells us why small children,
Should eat what they are given
And not ask such silly questions
Pestering those busy in kitchens!’
‘Go on – go on – do tell’
Chirped Borris, getting settled
As his Grandpa sat up straight
To clearly enunciate…
‘You understand…..My boy…. what I shall tell you
Must never be repeated:
A secret you must hold until your death…
For if someone were to find out,
It could only mean the end,
As nobody would even ever
Want to eat again!’
Boris stood and crossed his heart
And swore on everything
That this secret he would tightly hold
Never saying anything.
‘Long long long ago….Grandpa began….
there was a big old whale,
Who had lived a long fulfilling life
And now wanted eternal rest;
He found himself a cosy beach
And rested on the sand,
There and then he was to make,
His last contented sound.
Meanwhile, nearby, a fly did fly,
Cos that’s what flies do best,
He hmmn’d and aarghed
All to himself,
That he had missed breakfast,
And how he wished that he could find
Where he could eat a…….ARUUBBBBAAA!!!!
The fly saw the whale,
Lying on the beach
Like a fridge full of chocolate cake
From heaven it must be sent.
And one hundred eyes from in him,
Did shoot out from his head
(For flies have hundreds of eyes, you know,
To spot food to put on their bread.)
‘Yum Yum Yum’ he’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety, bump
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
Grandpa he sighed, and then he tried
The meaning to express:
‘This is the circle of life, my boy,
Which to us, it clearly states:
An animal dies, a fly will spy,
And make it into supper;
And one day both – you and I
Will too – the same fate suffer!
‘Huh’ gasped little Borris,
A most avid listener.
‘Is this the promise that I made
Is that the secret I must keep?’
‘Ha’ laughed Grandpa fondly
‘No, this is commonly known.
But you understand conspiracy?
Of domination in world zones?’
Boris looked a little pale
What had he taken on?
From who was the secret to protect
A new nemesis – for lifelong!
Come closer, leaned his Grandpa
For this you must clearly hear
An enemy, who is not all bad
But has very different ideas………..
Somewhere in the jungle
There’s a rumble
While the gecko’s tap their feet,
All singing and dancing
Jumping to the beat.
The Queen she slowly takes the floor
And stands close to the mike;
A thousand sparkling gecko eyes
All shine at her like lights.
She softly opens her mouth wide
And then begins to sing….
‘Flies…
Wouldn’t we all love to just eat flies…
If only someone would bake them in a pie
We’d have fly pie….
Every night!
Flies…
Wouldn’t we all love to just eat flies…
To munch and crunch and fill to our delight
In fly pies….
Every night!
Flies…
Wouldn’t we all love to just eat flies
In fly pie
All the time!’
And here it is, quite plain and clear
Gecko’s dream of domination!
Victory will be
To change our cuisine
And make us eat Fly Pie!
‘Euuurrrgh!’ exclaimed Borris
Sick straight to his empty stomach.
‘How disgusting, how revolting
Who would think of such a thought?’
‘Well’, said Grandpa, ‘understand
This is not the story’s end
Merely an explanation in the middle
For you to comprehend
Remember the fly that eats the whale
He’s got a million friends
He invites them all to supper
Because one fly can’t eat a whale!
So they have a little party,
It simply lasts for days
They dance and eat, all day and night
Until they’ve no energy left!
When the party comes to a close
The whale you can see his bones;
And the flies they say, their goodbyes,
And fly their way back home.
One of the flies, is so full
He’s now sitting on the reef,
And creeping close behind him
Is a bug about to eat –
‘Whoosh!’ with that, the fly is gone
Wrapped within a tongue
And as the bug he munches
He starts a little song
‘Yum Yum Yum’ he’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety, bump
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
Later…
Somewhere in a farmyard
A chicken goes to eat
And as if from out of nowhere
A fly lands by her feet
The chicken pecks at the corn
But makes a little mistake….
And ‘Whoosh!’ like that, the fly is gone
Wrapped within a beak.
And as the chicken munches
She starts a little song
‘Yum Yum Yum’ she’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety, bump
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
Later…
Somewhere in a field
A sheep goes to eat
And as if from out of nowhere
A fly lands by her feet
The sheep she grazes on the grass
But makes a little mistake….
And ‘Whoosh!’ like that, the fly is gone
Trapped within her teeth
And as the sheep munches
She starts a little song
‘Yum Yum Yum’ she’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety, bump
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
Later…
Somewhere in a pen
The pig he sniffs to eat
And as if from out of nowhere
A fly lands by his feet
The pig he snuffles in the grub
But makes a little mistake….
And ‘Whoosh!’ like that, the fly is gone
Caught behind his teeth
And as the pig munches
He starts a little song
‘Yum Yum Yum’ he’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety, bump
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
Later…
Somewhere in a paddock
A cow bends her head to eat
And as if from out of nowhere
A fly lands by her feet
The cow she grazes on the grass
But makes a little mistake….
And ‘Whoosh!’ like that, the fly is gone
Caught behind her teeth
And as the cow she munches
She starts a little song
‘Yum Yum Yum’ she’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety, bump
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
Later…
Somewhere in the water
A fish he swims to eat
And as if from out of nowhere
A fly lands on the sea
The fish he opens his mouth wide
Then makes a little mistake….
And ‘Whoosh!’ like that, the fly is gone
Caught within his gills.
And as the fish munches
He starts a little song
‘Yum Yum Yum’ he’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety, bump
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
Surprisingly…
Somewhere near
A big whale swims to eat
And as if from out of nowhere
The fish full of fly he meets
The whale he opens his mouth wide
Not realising the little mistake….
And ‘Whoosh!’ like that, fly and fish are gone
Caught behind his teeth
And as the whale munches
He starts a little song
‘Yum Yum Yum’ he’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety, bump
Bumpety, bumpety, bump!
So when you want to know what’s for dinner
You best hold your tongue instead,
Because now you know the secret:
That flies are in everything we’re fed!
And there are Geckos in this world
That want to remove all middle-men –
Instead of eating burgers
They’ll take out all the meat
And you’ll be left with animal food:
Flies – in pieces of bread!
And flies are little cannibals
Who party through the night
Feasting on the animals
That got fat by eating flies!
And if you should pester,
Those busy in kitchens
With annoying questions;
They’ll get fed up,
Not bother to cook,
Fill pies with flies instead!
So, later, when Boris sat for dinner,
And eyed what he would eat
He saw it was a tasty meal
That his mother him did make.
He smiled at his Mum
And said ‘thank you – very, very much’.
It all looks very, very nice
I’m sure it will taste delightful!
He looked at Grandpa,
Gave a smile at him,
Then stared at his dinner –
And he began to sing:
‘Yum Yum Yum’ he’s sung
‘You’ll end up in my tum
I’ll munch and crunch on every crumb
Until I’ve got a big…
BELLY!
©Do not copy and edit, or reproduce without permission from the author (Abelia May) and full acknowledgement of the author (Abelia May) and website address
https://abeliamayblog.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/mummy-mummy-whats-for-dinner-poem-story/
Abelia May 