In the middle of our porridge plates
There was a blue butterfly painted
And each morning we tried who should reach the
butterfly first.

Then the Grandmother said: “Do not eat the poor
butterfly.”
That made us laugh.

Always she said it and always it started us laughing.
It seemed such a sweet little joke.

I was certain that one fine morning
The butterfly would fly out of our plates,
Laughing the teeniest laugh in the world,
And perch on the Grandmother’s lap.

POEMS FOR KIDS BY KATHERINE MANSFIELD

Header illustration from Pixabay, with thanks.

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Family

1. The poet and her grandmother have a little joke about the butterfly painted on her porridge plate. Do you have any little jokes or things you often do in your family? How do they make you feel?