Mark Scrivener Poetry Blog- The Wizard's Wonderful Watering Can

THE WIZARD"S WONDERFUL WATERING CAN

This poem was originally written for a younger audience. That said, I believe it is harder often to write a good poem for younger people because you cannot use complex ambiguous metaphor or erudite language for effect. I also feel that a good "children's" poem should also be able to appeal to older audiences. Nor do they have to be necessarily less profound. This poem was inspired by the remark of a friend about an elaborate hand-made copper watering can and was also influenced by Yeats' Song of the Wandering Angus i.e. The silver apples of the moon / The golden apples of the sun. 

 THE WIZARD'S WONDERFUL WATERING CAN

A wizened, wise, old wizard went, with speed,
With his wonderful, watering can,
To water a patch of withered, old weed.

The sprinkle and sparkle of water-drops ran
Like tears down the leaves: brown, withered, and old;
And wherever he watered the weeds were spun
To sprouting, green plants with flowers silver and gold,
With flowers from the moon and the sun.

His pupil saw this wonderful spring
And thought he'd do the same sort of thing.

He went with the wonderful, watering can
And watered some flowers, not weed.
He thought, "This will be fine, indeed!"

The sprinkle and sparkle of water-drops ran
Like tears down the flowers, yellow and red;
And wherever he watered the flowers were spun
Into withered, old weeds with leaves grey and dead:
The cold of the moon, the heat of the sun.