Annette Smith about 3700 words289 New Hope Dr.McDonough, GA 30252770.601.5561smith30012@yahoo.com

THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES

by

Annette Bentley Smith

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 2

From One Parent to Another

I wrote this book of poems

To help you to see

We have wonderful gifts

These are our babies

Sit down and watch them

Look at their face

Look in their eyes. Watch their smile

They have no worries, not even a trace

They have their own language

That we might not quite understand

But if we care about them, love them

I truly believe we can

Help them build their minds

They’ve had them right from birth

Do this often. Do this Daily

They are truly wonderful gifts

They are our babies.

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 3

Table of Contents

Meet My Family

. When my brother was born

. My big brother

. My daddy

.My Mama

. My Mie Mie

My Favorite Times

. Playtime

. Bath time

. I Can Watch T.V

. Bedtime

. Riding Is Fun

A Poem for Parents

. Writing On The wall

. Walking in My Mother’s Shoes

. Read To Me

. My First Swing

. I Didn’t Do It

. Can I Help To

. Bubby Love

. Books, Books, and More Books

. But why

. A Whole Bunch of Cars

. I can Count to Ten

. Walking in My Daddy’s Shoes

. I Can Do It

. I learned To Walk

. I sing, You Sing, We All Sing

. School

. Time Out

. That Funny Feeling

. A.B.C’s and 1.2.3’s

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 4

When My Little Brother Was Born

Oh dear! He’s here

My little brother has been born

Move out of the way traffic

Hurry Dad go fast, blow your horn

We get to the hospital

Oh what a sight was he

All wrapped up in a blanket

Trying to see what he could see

He had ten fingers and ten toes

And a perfectly round little nose

I was bald; he had a head full of hair

Hey that’s okay. I didn’t care

I’m a big brother now

I will love him without scorn

I’m a big brother now

I have a little brother that’s been born

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 5

My Big Sister

Oh my goodness!

Who’s she?

My Mama said,”Its your sister.”

Wow! Another playmate for me!

Where does she live?

It’s not here with me

She comes and goes

Is this permanently?

How can I get to know her

If she’s away all the time

Go get her, let her live here

She’s my sister. All mine

I grew to like her

Yep! She’ll do

Because she’s my sister

I know you’ll like her too

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 6

My Big Brother

I came in this world

I thought I was alone

That feeling changed because

My big brother came along

I looked into his eyes

He looked into mine

I’ll be big like him someday

It’s only a matter of time.

He sang me songs

And rocked me to sleep

He helped put my clothes on

And helped me learn to eat

I know I’ll learn so much from him

If I just stay by his side

I love him so much

That feeling I will never hide

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 7

My Daddy

I met him for the first time

I had heard his voice before

I had heard it in my Mama’s womb

Ten, twenty, thirty, times maybe more.

We finally met face to face

In that big old hospital room

Lying in his big strong arms

As if being cradled by the moon

I know I’m a very fortunate fella’

To have him as my keeper

I hope he stays around forever

To let this love I have grow deeper

As I grow up

I’ll make him very proud of me

He’ll be my very special playmate

He’ll be my very own daddy

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 8

Mama

This person is a special one

I can talk about her all day

Using every word I can think of

In a special kind of way

From day one I wanted

To meet her face to face

From day one I was a person to her

Kept warm inside her and oh so safe

It took me awhile to get here

I had so much developing to do

From embryo to the time of birth

Or whenever I decided to come through

She read and sang to me

While I was all cuddled up inside

I agreed to this by nudging her

Happily going along for the watery ride

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 9

I had it made while inside

Then came the time to leave my safe place

I was ready to meet my Mama

Ready to see her face to face

I came out kicking and screaming

Need I tell you the rest?

But that warm safe feeling came back to me

When they laid me bare on my Mama’s chest

I looked into her eyes and she into mine

There was a sincere connection

No unloving rejection

We’ve had one all the time

She kept me by her side

Almost the whole day long

Right up until it was time

For Mama to take me home

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 10

Would the connection be the same?

Once we got there?

Will her feelings for me change?

Will she even care?

Yes it was, I must say

Our bond grew even stronger

Our connection grew by the day

And our love even longer

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 11

My Mie Mie (Grandmother)

I saw her for the first time

When she walked into the room

When she spoke my heart leaped

I had heard her voice from Mama’s womb

She picked me up holding me close

We looked into each other’s eyes

I knew I was going to love this person

Which wasn’t a big surprise

Who is she? What’s her name?

Who’s this person going to be?

I closed my eyes and heard her say

“Hello little fella, I’m your Mie Mie”

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 12

My Favorite Times

Play Time

I woke up this mourning

I knew it was another day

Wake up, wake up Mama

It’s time for me to play

She woke up and smiled at me

Then she sat me on the floor

She knew exactly what I wanted

I headed for the door

First stop was my brother’s room

I crawled over to his bookshelf

I sat down in front of it

And pulled the books down all by myself

Next stop was the bathroom

The door was open I was kust about to go in

My Mama picked me up and said, “No, no”

And put me in my playpen

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 13

That was okay

That was fine by me

For my playpen filled with toys

Was where I wanted to be

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 14

Bath Time

I heard that familiar sound

I crawled toward the door

Yep, that’s it, bath time

Give me all my toys and more

My Mama undressed me

And plopped me in the tub

I splashed water all around

Like a little bear cub

I looked up at her

Grinning from ear to ear

I squealed in sheer delight

A sound she loved to hear

I love bath time

All us babies do

It’s another time in a day to play

A fun time for me and a fun time for Mama too

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 15

I Can Watch TV

I kick and scream

When watching T.V.

It’s because I think those people

Are talking to me

My Mama just laughed and asked

What do you see?

If only I could say

Those people, they’re talking to me

They would laugh I would Laugh

They would smile I would smile

This went on for quite some time

Yes this went on for quite awhile

I watched it with my sister

I watched it with my brother

I even watched it with my daddy

But mostly I watched it with my mother

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 16

It’s probably rare that you would

Find such a baby you see

But hey, you never know, there could be more

That watches T.V. just like me

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 17

Bed Time

I whine and cry every time

Until my Mama does this thing

She’d hold me close while rocking

Then she’d sing, sing, and sing.

Hush little one Please don’t cry

Rock-a-by baby, rock-a-by, rock-a-by

She’d also hummed this special melody

A song she’d made up just for me

That always worked, it calmed me down

Just like I knew it would

She always knew exactly what to say and do

Just as I knew she could

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 18

Riding is Fun

Here we go

No time to hide

In the car I go

Ride, ride, ride

Around the corner

Down the road

Up the hill, down the hill

Fast like a fox, slow like a toad

One stop, two stops, three stops Four

So many stops we had to make

In and out the car

Opening and closing the doors

Sometimes it got tiring

I like riding though

Riding in my Mama’s car

As fast as we could go

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 19

A Poem for Parents

Okay Parents I haven’t left

You out

I’ve given you a taste of what our children

Are about

Have you taken the time since those other poems

I wrote

To look at your precious gems

I know you have

I hope

When they are small their expressions

Means a lot

Although they aren’t quite verbal, they are telling

Us a lot

My poems will remind you of just how

They act

Writing these poems has reminded me as a matter

Of fact

Hold on to your hats because

Here’s more

Some are quite different not

Like before

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 20

For you see my little ones has grown up

A bit

Their expressions and actions has changed quite

A bit

Although our little gems, will grow up

And change

Our love and joy for them will always remain

The same

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 21

Writing on the Wall

I discovered something when

I picked up something called a pen

What an amazing thing it did

Not a good thing for a little kid

Up and down in the hall

Across around and down the wall

Scribble scrabble on the floor

My own little artwork on the door

I soon got caught

With the pen in my hand

I couldn’t deny it

So guess what? I ran

I threw the pen down

I tried to make a getaway

I didn’t want to hear what my parents had to say

The artwork wasn’t bad, not bad at all

But not half as bad as writing on the wall

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 22

Walking in My Mama’s Shoes

Shoes, shoes everywhere

I sat on the floor and picked a pair

One shoe hard one shoe soft

One shoe on one shoe off

I stood up and tried to walk

The task wasn’t easy

My Mama looked down and laughed at me

“You can’t wear my shoes,” she said teasingly

I tried and tried anyway

It turned out she was right

I continued to struggle for the longest

The shoes were teaching me to put up a fight

I wanted to show my Mama I could

So I took off one shoe and tried another

She took me by the hand and said I’ll help you

Something I heard often by my mother

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 23

A day will come

Life will bend the rules

I’ll grow up and wiser

Then I’ll be able to walk in my Mama’s shoes

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 24

Read To Me

Books, books all around

I pick one up

And put one down

Books, books, all around

I took one to Mama who was

Sitting in the chair

Read to me Mama this book

That book either one I don’t care

Then I took a book to daddy

He was walking out the door

I’ll be back Buddy he calls me

I’m going to the store

I threw the book on the floor

Tears filled up in my eyes

I’ll read to you my Bubby said.

Come and sit by my side

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 25

This is what I love the most

Reading to me in every way

With anyone who will take the time

It’s my favorite pass time of the day.

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 26

My First Swing

I saw a long box

As far as the eyes could see

It probably wasn’t that long

I was small it looked that way to me

I stood and watched while Daddy opened the box

My brother watched him too

Something was in it that was

White purple and blue

What was it What could it be

What was that big thing

My Daddy turned and looked at me

Look your Granddaddy bought you a swing

A swing I said jumping up and down

Hurry put it together

You can’t swing all the time

It depends on the weather

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 27

My Daddy put it together

I stood right by his side

The swings will be my favorite

I’ll also love the slide

Thanks Granddaddy

I’ll treasure it forever

I can’t swing all the time though

It will all depend on the weather

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 28

I Didn’t Do It

I didn’t do it

No not me

I’m too little

Can’t you see?

Who rolled the tissue paper?

All over the floor

Who’s jumping on the bed?

Who left the toys on the floor?

I didn’t do it

No not me

I’m too little

Can’t you see?

Who left food on their plates?

This is something Mama hates

I didn’t do it

No not me

I’m too little

Can’t you see?

Why do things?

Get blamed on me

I’m too little can’t you see?

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 29

Can I Help Too?

You’re too little

You can’t help

If only they knew

Just how I felt

I can wash dishes

Let me show you

Put me in a chair

Standing on books will help too

I can sweep the floor

Just give me a broom

I’ll sweep the trash so hard

It’ll all fly to the moon

I’m not too little

Yes I can help

One day I’ll tell them

Just how I felt

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 30

Bubby Love

(brotherly love)

Bubby, you might ask

Who in the world is that?

It’s short for brother

I often call mine that

We would often play fight

He would always let me win

I sat on is back and pounded

On his head again and again

I often ran to him

When I got very upset

I’d lay my head on his shoulder

Just like when we first met

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 31

There’s a lot of love

Between my brother and me

He tries to always show it

For all the world to see

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 32

Books Books and More Books

B is for books

They are often fun to read

O is for open one

You’re sure to succeed

O again is to observe

All the books you see

K is for courage to do so

But spelled with a C

My Bubby and I have so many books

Often reading five at a time

No matter how long it took

We would never pay attention to the time

We do try to take care of our books

Seeing how important they are

Make sure you pick up a book or two

As books will take you far

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 33

But Why?

No don’t do that

But why I always asked

Because Mama said so

Is that such a hard task?

But why again I asked

I didn’t understand

I just wanted to have my way

I knew I would I could I can

No candy before dinner

Cookies, drinks and chips too

But why I asked again and again

Because you said so just won’t do

These two words won’t get you anywhere

Believe me I’ve tried and tried

Just turn and walk away

These are the rules, you’ll have to abide.

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 34

A Whole Bunch of Cars

Look in my toy chest

What do you see?

A whole bunch of cars

Just for you and me

I have so many of them

On the floor, lined on the wall

Five, ten, fifteen twenty

Takes all day to count them all

Fire trucks, police cars

Old cars new ones too

All are of many colors

Red yellow green and blue

Vroom, vroom, vroom

Watch out here I come

With my toy chest filled with cars

We will have lots and lots of fun.

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 35

I Can Count to Ten

Listen Mama listen to me

I can count

Yes count to three

1,2,3

I can do more

Just let me try

I can count, all the way to five

1,2,3,4,5

Listen daddy I can’t wait

I will show you

I can count to eight

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Is everyone ready?

Well all right then

But say them with me

And you’ll be my friend

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 36

Walking in My Daddy’s Shoes

I pulled out my daddy’s shoes

I tried them on one day

A little game I often chose

A favorite game I loved to play

I walked around the house

They flip flopped on my feet

I put on one shoe after another

Some of them I hid to keep

I wondered where those shoes had been

Will I go there too?

Will I walk in my daddy’s footsteps?

Will I walk in my daddy’s shoes?

My daddy is a real good man

His style of life I might not choose

I’m sure I’ll make my own life

While still walking in my daddy’s shoes

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 37

I Can Do It

I try to put my shoes on

I try to put on my clothes

I try to put my socks on

To cover all of my toes

Sometimes I get so mad

The buttons are not big enough

Even pants with a zipper

Can be so very tough

When frustration sets in

I should go ask for help

I tell myself I can do it

I have to do it by myself

So if at first you don’t succeed

And I can do it myself don’t work

It’s okay to ask for help

Because asking for help is what works

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 38

Learning to Walk

On my knees around the table

All the way down the hall

Sometimes tumbling over

On my back as I recall

I had been doing this

For quite some time now

Getting from place to place

At times I didn’t know how

One day my Mama stood me up

She held my hand for a while

Then she let go, down on my bottom I fell

I looked up at her, and she just smiled

I did this over and over

It took me awhile to learn

But when I did my Mama was glad

That was a big day for me, now it’s your turn

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 39

I Sing You Sing We All Sing

Rock-a-bye baby in the treetop

If someone bothers you

I’ll make them stop

Mama’s lil’ baby loves shortening bread

Go to sleep, go to sleep

Now lay your head

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

Close your eyes go to sleep

Don’t cry or pout or whine

These are my favorite songs

I love to hear my Mama sing

I sing you sing we all sing

Such happiness and love

It will surely bring

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 40

School

Every day my Bubby left the house

I wondered where he was going

I’d follow him to the door

While a big yellow bus sat blowing

I have to go to school he said

So I waved goodbye to my brother

I’ll be back in a little while he said

Get back in bed under your covers

I wanna go I wanna go

And I sat down and cried

You’ll go when you’re big enough

When you’re three, four, or maybe five

That day came soon enough

I wanted my Mama to go and stay

For this was all new to me

A good place to learn, a nice place to play

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 41

I cried a lot for many days

I was use to being at home

I got use to it because I knew

At the end of the day, I was going home

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 42

Time Out

Two little words I had heard

Those words I learned first

I heard them almost every day

When I got in trouble was when I heard them the worst

Time out! Time out!

This was not for me

Sitting all by myself

A good little boy I needed to be

You can’t sing or dance

And play with all your toys

Always sitting in time out

Wasn’t a good thing for girls and boys?

You had to think about things

The things you had done

To see if it was good or bad

Time out was never fun

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 43

To stay out of time out

Do just as I say

Be good little girls and boys

Then you’ll always be able to play

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 44

That Funny Feeling

Dancing around the kitchen

Not knowing what was going on

I had this funny feeling

A feeling I wanted gone

What was I to do?

What should I say?

Dancing around and around the room

I was doing it in a funny sort of way

My Mama turned and looked at me

Then she began to smile

She knew exactly what was wrong

I guess I was just in denial

She whisked me off to the bathroom

That funny feeling had me tensed

Then I knew it was potty time

I’ve really done well every since

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 45

A B C’s and 1 2 3’s

ABC 123

I know my colors too

All of them

No just a few

Red yellow green and blue

I heard them on T.V

My Bubby taught me too

Just saying them over and over

Will help you remember too

Now will you mind saying

All you letters with me

A B C D E F G

I know some more

Let’s say them okay

H I J K

We’re almost there

Now shout with glee

L M N O P

Don’t give up

Q R S T U V

Smith / Through A Child’s Eye’s / 46

And let’s not forget

The last ones finally

W X Y Z!