My Family of Laptops

My Family of laptops

In my family of laptops

No member has a face

I often just see rectangles

Sitting in their place

On a very busy news day

They speak in "mmms" and "aahs"

They look at clips on You Tube

And snort out "ha ha ha"s.

I try to get attention

When I need a little help

But all I see is laptop heads

So I do my maths myself

At dinner time the laptop heads

Return to normal size

Instead they stare at smaller screens

Resting on their thighs

Once in a while they show me

What they are looking at

Often it’s a video

Of a dancing cat

Sometimes it’s a panda

Eating some bamboo

Or once there was a photograph

Of Cathy at the zoo

It isn’t that I mind you see

A little look online

I just mind it very much

When it’s all the flipping time

So I’ve devised a plan you know

To change things up a bit

I’ve hidden all their chargers

That might just help them quit

And as they’re searching round the house

I’ll pretend to help them too

But secretly I’ll find their phones

And flush them down the loo

I’ll hide away their laptops

In the garden shed

Then perhaps they will play

Monopoly instead

Dear readers think about it

When you next pick up your phone

Is your child trying to play

Scrabble on their own?

Put down the electronic thing

Give tweeting a little rest

Don’t update your status

Just play with the little pest

If you don’t then one day

Don’t be surprised to see

Your laptop mysteriously

Hanging from a tree

Just take this as a warning

This window is quite small

We want to play with you right now

One day we won’t at all

Then you can find your laptop

Your IPad and your phone

And surf to all your hearts content

Sitting on your own

For now get down and interact

Make cakes and hats and cards

Or you might find reflection

Is really rather hard.

Just play and they'll remember 

And think fondly of all that 

It's rather more important

Than a dancing cat.