From Night Monkey, Day Monkey
The moon shone down on the jungle.
Night Monkey climbed up the tree.
She clambered and leapt to where Day Monkey slept,
And whispered, “You can’t catch me.”
Day Monkey woke up and chased her,
But lost his grip on the bark.
He landed, cross, on a bed of moss,
Complaining, “It’s much too dark!”
“Look!” said Day Monkey. “Hundreds of eyes,
Winking and blinking and bright.”
Night Monkey laughed and said, “Don’t be daft,
They’re fireflies that flash in the night.”
About this poem
This poem was reproduced on a postcard for National Poetry Day 2015. Eight poetry postcards are published each year by the Scottish Poetry Library to celebrate National Poetry Day and are distributed throughout Scotland to schools, libraries and other venues. The theme for 2015 was ‘light’.
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You can find out more about National Poetry Day in our National Poetry Day page.