Rachel & Leo Collection – Xapa to the World

(Rachel & Leo Collection)

Aug 15, 2005

The sky was starting to slowly get dark
As Rachel and Leo dashed to the park.
Their mission was simple, their plan complete.
Catching lightning bugs was what they’d compete.

With her jar in hand, Rachel skipped about
And Leo decided a different route.
As he crept so quietly into the trees,
The lightning bugs there were ready to please.

The bugs in the trees were blinking a storm,
And in Leo’s mind a plan began to form.
He would climb to the top and catch them all!
But if he fell, it would be a great fall.

He climbed up one branch, and then another
His tail wrapped around the jar of Rachel’s mother.
“I won’t fall at all! I won’t! I won’t!”
Then Rachel ran up and said, “Oh, Weo! Don’t!”

“I reawwy think the wightning bugs are nice
And awready I’ve caught them twice!
But in their home is where they shouwd be found.
I wike them fwying and bwinking around.”

So Leo began to climb slowly down,
And he and Rachel turned back towards town.
Tomorrow another plan they would make
While sitting in the reeds by the lake.

Sarah ><>

This poem is part of a collection inspired by my cousin’s 4 yr old daughter, Rachel. On my 21st bday, instead of going out to party (which I’m not into anyways), she and I were outside of my grandparent’s house in Pittsburgh catching lightning bugs and playing with a imaginary lion named Leo. It inspired me to write several pieces about Rachel and this lion. Rachel has/had a lisp, so I put that into the poems. They rhyme scheme may seem a little choppy, but I’m hoping to make these into books, and then one stanza will be on each page. Let me know what you think!

July 14th, 2005

Little Rachel didn’t know what to do.
Her favorite lion was lost
And with him was her shoe.

Last night when they were hunting
For lizards and snakes and such
He had taken her shoe for squishing
Spiders and she hadn’t cared that much.

But this morning, she was worried.
She would be late for school
And her mother was hurried!

Where did he put it? She thought for a moment.
Under the palm trees of the deserted island?
Or maybe he had left it in the camping tent,
Or buried it under the ocean’s sand!

She ran outside and called his name.
“Weo!” She shouted and
Around the corner he came.

His tail was tucked between his legs.
“I knew you’d call if I kept your shoe.
I really want some bacon and eggs.”
Little Rachel didn’t know what to do!

She told Leo she had to go to school
She would play with him later
And maybe go to the pool.

So Leo the lion gave her the shoe
He watched her get on the bus.
“I’ll be home in a wittle while, too!
So pwease don’t make a big fuss!”

Sarah ><>