MY TONGUE
My tongue is like a big squashed fruit,
A raspberry, I think.
It’s long and soft and drippy,
And a perfect shade of pink.
But when I look into my mouth
And watch it turn about,
The muscles ripple as it moves,
And quiver at my throat.
I think this tongue’s a stronger thing
Than raspberries you crush,
It chews my food; manipulates,
To make a kind of mush.
It’s strong and supple; sticking out
At teachers I can’t stand.
It curls about and wiggles,
Then hides behind my hand.
It plays with sounds, to make a song
That boasts what it can do,
And then it laughs inside my mouth
And says its song is poo.
It may look like a raspberry
All squashed and pink and flat,
‘But I can tell you,’ says my tongue,
‘I’m much much more than that!’
Philippa Roberts