Strange!

By Rhiannonw

Tue, 15 Sep 2026
  • 268 reads
7 comments
 

There was an old lady of Wales,
who had a peculiar habit:
when the time came for trimming her nails
she reached for her straw hat to grab it.

That hat was a friend of times past,
but now rarely worn but for when
her nails must be cut, trimmings cast
at the end of the garden again!

[IP: the piece of clothing you can’t let go]

This is based on a true story, though some details are a bit dim now!

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Humour
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

This was nicely put together for the I. P. Rhiannon. yes

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. It is a funny memory of my grandmother, I'm a bit vague about the hat, but I seem to remember an old brown straw hat that emerged! But it makes a funny story.

Glad you are able to read and comment a bit, which you must enjoy, but don't push yourself too long or hard when you need rest. love, Rhiannon

 

Submitted by insertponceyfre... on

Nice IP response Rhiannon. Maybe it's some kind of local superstition, like greeting a magpie?

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Don't know! She was set in her ways! I hadn't heard of greeting a magpie. I think this maybe stemmed from days where there was little rubbish collection, maybe the trimmings were thought good for the soil? or maybe they were felt rather unclean to have in the house>?? rather than superstition. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by insertponceyfre... on

I learnt about the magpies from a lovely elderly farmer in Suffolk. He used to doff his cap when he saw one, and I think something about taking his coat off? It was a very long time ago!

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

There was a young fellow called Bright
  who travelled much faster than light
He started out one day
  in the relative way
And returned the previous night

Anon &&

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

smiley Just your kind of poem, Tom! Rhiannon