What do grown-ups mean by a ‘short’ walk?

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • 307 reads
15 comments
 

Kick a ball and climb a tree –
a walk with lovely views to see.
Daddy says, ‘We’ll circle down
– we’ve time a-plenty’, 
little boys frown
[‘If Daddy says it’ll take about twenty,
that means it’s probably twice that far
– say forty mins. to reach our car.’]

‘It was fun looking down at the wriggley Wye
from the top of the drop – we were way up high,
and thanks for carrying our ball in your pack
when we came to the slog of the steep track back!’

 

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Children's
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I can identify with this poem Rhiannon, not as a child, but as an adult. My partners idea of a short walk is completely different to mine, though he's more aware these days of how far I can actually walk. I can recall a walk in St Ives that took us across the cliff tops that were up and down. I kept asking him when we'd be at our destination; everytime he'd say, "Just over this next hill." Three hours later we'd still be climbing over more hills, it seemed never ending.

I suppose it depends on the age and fitness of the child, little tots can't walk that far, but coming up to teenage years some children are more able to keep going, walking off all their energy.

This sounds like a poem written about your grandchildren. It must have been a great family day out.

Enjoyed the read.

Jenny..

 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. I found this that I'd written a number of years ago - I think the grandsons werre about 9 and 11, and enjoying kicking a ball more than a walk, especially if it was uncertain how far it would be, ie if it was somewhere they hadn't been before. But I think they usually found the walks turned out 'just their' length and interesting! They are grown up now and plenty of stamina and determination and adventures! 

I can remember my sons though, similarly, and not trusting us to not get (temporarily) lost! Years later the siblings gave us one of the early GPS positioning gadgets as they were concerned we'd get lost on the hills! 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Wonderful rhyming in this child's eye view of a walk. Well done Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed. It was nice to come across it again, and realise it had not been posted and was quite a gentle, humorous one! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Liked this very much :0) And glad am not the only one not to be trusted re getting them lost, by suspicious offspring :0)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Hopefully they benefirt from the walks, anyway! Young (and older) teenagers can be such a mixture of bursting energy and lethargy, - and suspicion! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Nolan on

Quaint! Sorry I'm not English, what is a " wriggley Wye" ? You certainly have lots of energy for a more elderly lady!

& Nolan

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

This poem and the walk with grandchildren and their parents was a few years back!

The river Wye is a famous riiver near here that comes down from the miid-Wales mountains towards the sea at the Bristol Channel. The Wye is famous for its meandering course - so in a child's language they were looking down to the 'wriggley Wye' far below them, as they could see it looping, bending around! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

'It was fun looking down at the wriggley Wye
from the top of the drop – we were way up high..'

A highly visual poem and skilfully done as you have referenced the walk from the child's point of view. We easily forget the mismatch between perceptions of time and distance when out with children. 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks. Yes, and it is delightful when they realise that they are enjoing it! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Words to capture the action of a walk among interesting landscapes, Rhiannon. Taking children on these walks is immeasurably beneficial for them. It reminded me of when we took our very young children on a walk in the woods and my partner urged us to go a different way and we got lost just as it was getting dark. I was so angry with him because it was winter and very cold. We found our way out of course.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Oh, well, hopefully they can look back and realise that adventures aren't always pleasant at the time! Some footpaths in woods can be very misleading. We used to sometimes find that the forestry workers were making new tracks for their vehicles, and it was easy to miss the way the old footpath turned. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Nice rhyme in the pattern of this poem, Rhiannon. I also liked the 'wriggley Wye'.

hilary  smileycool

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Hilary. Rhiannon