I have been known to stray from the text a bit,

                           When reading aloud to a wakeful young child,

                           Leaving out a word here and there,

                           Well, sometimes a whole sentence

                           In the interest of finishing the book,

                           Before I drift off to sleep.

 

                           Occasionally I have even changed the text,

                           To make it sleepier or in rare moments

                           Of tedium, more exciting.

                           But you, Sydney, knew your books so well,

                           That even the smallest slip up,

                           Was noticed and corrected.

 

                           You did however laugh and like it

                           When my recitation of

                           ‘This little piggie went to market’,

                           Was altered so the third piggie

                           Had Pizza instead of roast beef,

                           Showing me emphatically that at three

                           You have discriminating literary taste!

                                                                                                            Cerita M. Hewett

                                                                                                            March 29, 2011