Only

Little Tim asked Mom and Dad              

Why he was all they ever had

“My pals all play with little brothers;          

how come here there are no others?

I always try to do my part                        

with fresh mud pies and bright wall art,

I scrub Mom’s plates so shining clean       

you cannot see the blue bird scene

I saved the plants from last month’s drought

by soaking them with Guinness Stout

When Dad claimed Visa took his cash,         

I put that card right in the trash!

So many chores laid on my back,                  

I need some sibs to pick up slack

Besides, it can get pretty lonely…             

So, why am I your one and only?”

Author's Note

I'm told that today is "Only Child Day"...

Reviews

[Stella Armour]

I am an only child, and when i was young the other children thought i was spoiled , but in reality i would have changed places with them to have brother and sisters .. being an only child is being in a very lonely place most of the time.
Then when you have aging parents everything is down to you and there is often no-one to share the care.

[Rita L. Sev]

As kids, I would of course fight with my brother and sister, but now I realize what a gift they are. Thanks for stopping, Stella!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

there are certainly pros and cons to being an only child....with my sister it sometimes feels like I am an only child...

really strong poem that conveys that feeling of being "the only and the lonely one"


j.

[Rita L. Sev]

Being the youngest of three, I can only imagine that it would be lonely. I have never wished to be an only child, even when the others were getting on my nerves... Thanks, Jacob.

[Lyn Anderson]

I see. Well, there certainly are differences between the two, very eloquently laid out here. We all wonder what it would be like to not have a sibling if we do, and vice versa.

[Rita L. Sev]

Yes, the old "grass is always greener" syndrome... Thanks for stopping, KL!

[Damien Thibodeaux]

It's always a joy to visit your page and read your real and wonderful poems. With a brother and two sisters myself, I feel fortunate knowing when both my parents are gone, I won't be "only" alone. Then I made sure I did my part to populate the planet with five of my own.

[Rita L. Sev]

Holy wow - five little "Damiens" :) I hope they are poets, too! Thank you for your kind words, as always, Damien!

[Damien Thibodeaux]

Well, not poets, but 2 are musicians, lol. Always my pleasure to read your art.

[Blue]

This is cute. I can almost imagine an extremely adorable little boy with curious eyes speaking these lines.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Blue! So glad my words gave such a happy image!

[Beccy]

This struck a chord. I have Charlie, my one and only and he lights up each and every day of my life.

He's nine in July and I hope I am doing my best for him.

Beccy.

[Rita L. Sev]

I hope your Charlie doesn't do the things listed in the poem, Beccy! On the plus side, an only child never has to compete for a parent's attention... :)

[Cassie]

I share the same sentiments because I am too a one and only child. I should send this to my mother.

[Rita L. Sev]

I'm sure you were not as naughty as "Little Tim", Cassie! :)

[Cassie]

I was not fortunately..hahahaha

[Isabel25]

Aww....hahah...he does seem terribly burdened by his endless chores. Reminded me of Calvin and Dennis the Menace. So much innocence is reflected in this piece.
Oh god, grant his parents patience, clean walls, stronger plants (creepers maybe, so he can't reach them), hard cash and plates with longer lasting designs.
Loved this one.

[Rita L. Sev]

Lol - your review is the perfect blessing for the parents of an only child! Thank you, Annie!

[Sami Khalil]

At least he does not have sibling rivalries...Lol
A wonderful poem that asks serious questions from The point of view of a child. I like it a lot...:).......

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Sami! Yes, sibling rivalry is not fun, but I suppose there are pros and cons to both situations (as with all of Life...) :)

[Sami Khalil]

So true. You are welcome...:)...................

[Brittany Zedalis]

I don't know if this was the intent, but this was very funny to me. I was raised as an only child, I didn't meet my siblings until I was much older.

[Rita L. Sev]

Funny is usually my intention, so you got it, Luna! I always wonder what "onlys" think about being "only", and when facebook announced that it was "Only Child Day", I got to thinking... Thanks!