The March of Time
It was early, very early one morning when the children were awakened asking each other what the strange, haunting yet very beautiful rhythmic noise was, coming from what seemed just outside their bedroom window. Seb and Pum quickly jumped out of their beds and ran to the window. On opening the window the noise became somewhat louder, much louder indeed.
Looking out of their window Seb and Pum noticed, as far as the eye could see there were countless lines of marching soldier like bandsmen playing trumpets, trombones, tubas, there were drummers, bass drums and the biggest sousaphones you ever did see as well Numbers, Alphabet letters and what looked like yes they both whispered, nursery rhyme characters dancingly marching in sort of rhythmic lines, then they would weave in and around and about with the numbers yet never so much that they interrupted the very precise marching Soldier bandsmen and women. Some then began running in and out of the numbers, some speaking to each other whilst some were just humming in tune. The tune was hauntingly wonderful, like, like a Christmas Choir, descant, bass and soprano together in the most moving of tones.
Then suddenly and all at once the Bandsmen who were wearing a multiplicity of very colourful uniforms of red, blue and yellow, who were being nicely, politely and not at all shoutingly counted onwards by a strikingly dressed Time Sergeant, suddenly began to sing and in a very gentle yet wonderfully audible sound......
1234, 1234,
Your time - my time - our time – time is free
Time for you - and time for me
Time for cakes - and time for tea
You two and me – that makes three
Come on children – come and see
Your time – my time – our time – is freee
We become past time - present time and time yet to see
Time for sport - time for play and always time for high tea
Tea time, tea time, it’s tea time.....yippeeeeeee
Time to dance and time to run, time to be a busy, busy bee
Forever and ever and a day you see,
and yes always time, always time...fooooor teeeeea…..
The strikingly dressed time sergeant then spoke out as the time soldiers marched on and into past time up the hill and far far away....yet many more could be seen in the present time and in the distant future time heading towards them...
The clock ticks on - time never stands still
The clock ticks on - as it always has and always will
So time travel with us - don’t you a second delay
For time ticks on and on - forever and a day
As the time sergeant passed by their window Pum and Seb leaned out to attract his attention. “Excuse me sir” Seb called out, “Who are you, I mean what is this parade? We’ve never seen anything quite like this before.”
The time sergeant saluted them both.
“ Its the March of Time, young man” he replied holding their gaze for a few seconds before his expression gave way to a faint smile
“The March of Time” he repeated several more times as he carried on by, his voice becoming fainter and fainter as it dissolved into the reverberating chorus of the troop.
As they looked out of their window more time numbers and words were coming their way each in rank and file, each with an immaculately dressed time sergeant leading them, the words kept spelling time and sometimes between the spelling of time was a nursery rhyme character and they seemed to be in alphabetical order.
Pum asked Seb why the soldiers only had shiny brass instruments and drums and no rifles at all. Seb replied that it was probably because in Timeland there is no trouble, no strife or wars because it is a very happy place and besides, smiling said, “They simply don’t have the time to be unhappy with each other or anyone else for that matter”. They both looked at each other and laughed.
There were numbers that were stating the date, the second, the minute, the hour, the day, the month and the year, all as they passed by their window. It was very very “wondrously fantabulous” they both thought.
A begins Art, Ant, Aunt, Aren’t, Altrincham, April, August, Arnold, Annie, Adella, Anna, Abbeydale, and of course not forgetting Angelic Alice….
As Seb and Pum continued looking from their window they could see yes Pum softly shouted it was Alice all the way from Wonderland skipping towards them, hand in hand with the Mad Hatter, both singing ring a ring of roses and the white rabbit not far behind worriedly chattering about how time seemed to be running away with things, but the Time Sergeant told him in a very polite manner that time wasn’t running away, it never has and never will.
“You see” he said “Time marches on by the second, nothing more and nothing less, no running Mr Rabbit, just marching by the second”. Meanwhile The Cheshire cat sitting on the Mad Hatters shoulder asked why by the second and not the first, then just kept smiling and asking as to what things was time running off with. And there was the dormouse scurrying on behind them all whilst squeaking out “hickory dickery dock the mouse ran up the clock” and the white rabbit still kept on mumbling “someone must have stolen some time, they must have, they must have” he kept saying, “that’s why I’m late”. “No one has stolen time” the time sargent called out, in a nice but firm manner, “We would never let that happen you see little rabbit, your pocket watch must need sending to the watch mender.” Then the time sergeant turned and told the Cheshire Cat that time was counted in seconds, which make up the hours, firsts don’t come into it. Smiling the Cheshire Cat whispered into the Mad Hatters ear, so that the Time Sergeant couldn’t hear, “Why does time have to ‘make up’ the hours, why not tell it as it is, tell the truth” he purred, before settling down to have a nap curling it’s tail around the Mad Hatter’s face, under his nose making him sneeze, splutteringly.
Alice who was wearing her blue dress and dainty buckled blue shoes looked up at Seb and Pum and smiling said to them.
“I am Alice, Alice in Wonderland you know
I have lots of adventures and the Queen of Hearts treats me just so,
Well she treats me fairly sometimes may I say
only the other day she let me play
Oh what is that strange game, oh yes, it’s called croquet.”
“My friends here really try to take care of me just fine
They stay by my side, well nearly all of the time
If I ask them for help they respond just super quick
And make good my concerns, as if with a conjuring stick”
“My wonderland adventures can be strange and at times a worry
But as soon as I have one they seem to be gone, in a hurry
I’m not sure how this happens and nor are my dear friends
But I am assured that this is just what Mr Dodgson intends”
“Well dear Piyanuch and Sebastian as well
My friends and I must go pell-mell
All the way back to Wonderland
We are expected by the Queen for high tea....you see
We are sure you both absolutely understand
“Yes” Said the White Rabbit “we mustn’t be late”
“I knew there was something, with the Queen we have a date
“off with their heads” she will shout, it’s so worrying
So please let’s go Alice” and off he went scurrying
“Your right” mused the Mad Hatter in a very quizzical way
“To stay here a second longer would our arrival delay”
“The Queen will become vexed,
She can be very complex”
“We enjoy her tea, cucumber sandwiches and cakes may I say”
Alice did a little courtesy, turned around and with her wonderland friends went skipping along up and over the gentle hill.
The time sergeant looked up at them both smilingly saying don’t take any notice of the Mad Hatter as a second can be no shorter or longer because....
A second is a second there being sixty in a minute
and sixty minutes in an hour, there’s nothing to it.
There are precisely twenty four hours in a long day
and from Time immemorial it will always be this way
The humming of time continued and several of the figures of time, which were marching ever so orderly, were holding up the date of 1865. Following the date were two men who looked like twins and were hurriedly walking past the numbers and letters. As they passed by the time sergeant asked their names, “my name is Charles Ludwig Dodgson” replied the first, “and my name is Lewis Carrol” the other twin replied. “How odd” said the time sergeant “how very odd you are both dressed and look exactly alike”. The two men who looked like twins nodded politely as the time sergeant urged them to keep up with time, “ nothing must stop it, absolutely nothing” He pronounced.
“Do you see Seb?” asked Pum “Mr Carroll, although identical to Mr Dodgson, looks sort of” she paused to consider “well shadow like” she concluded.
“Well” said Seb “that’s probably because they are really the same person. Mr Dodgson is the real person who writes under the made up name Lewis Carroll, so I suppose his pseudonym is bound to look like a shadow of the real thing, don’t you think?”
At that precise moment Mr Carroll looked up to the window, which was quite amazing as he was surely too far to have heard their conversation, nevertheless look up he did and addressed Pum & Seb.
“Yes I am Mr Carroll, his pseudonym you know
I follow Mr Dodgson, where ever he may go
To write those wondrous tales, in my name alone
Sadly means that I am, more than him well known.”
“But that is how I wish it”, politely spoke Dodgson.
“I couldn’t stand it if my writing became a figure of fun.
“They understand you I’m sure” said Mr Carroll most kindly
“It is with joy that I follow you, not just so blindly”
(Messrs. Carroll and Dodgeson spoke) quoth,
“How pleasant it was to meet you both”
And invited them “Come journey along the Wonderland road,
where kind happiness is the only code.
where there are endless days and timeless tales,
where only goodness, friendship truth prevails.”
With a wave, both men turned away and down the road they went.
Whilst glancing back proclaiming it was their honest intent
To come again and speak some more, as they had to great extent
Enjoyed their meeting, although fleeting, at this perchanced incident.
Turning away again Mr Carroll and Mr Dodgeson walked briskly on, up and over the hill whilst busily writing down Seb and Pums address.
As the parade contiued marching past their window Pum and Seb became aware of a harmonious sound which was growing louder and more audible by the second. It was the Time Soldier Bandsmen letters and numbers who were chanting the verse.
“Time if I only had time,
time to live and time to spare,
time to hold so we could go everywhere,
time to meet and time to think,
time to eat, time to drink
time to love, to be loved and be happy
time to travel and to visit Westminster Abbey
time if I only had time, if I only had time….”
“Keep in time” exclaimed the Time Sergeant encouragingly,
“keep moving, keep moving
1234, 1234
pass every window pass every door
1234, 1234”
The numbers kept passing and the letters spelt out time, time and again, time and again.
On up the hill and into the distance time passed with time behind them and time coming toward them, seemingly forever.
B reminds us of “2B or not 2B that B the?” Bee, Be, Beulah, Bhu, Birmingham, Bangkok, Beautiful Bok, Brian, Byron, Banjos, and The BLADES….
At this moment the letter B made a sudden appearance, running in and out of the ranks of time,
“Get in line please” instructed the Time Sergeant, “in line, stay in line”. But B was far too busy to take notice.
“I am a busy B, a very busy, busy bee”, said the letter as it suddenly changed from a letter B into a buzzing bee and then back again.
This transformation of the letter B kept re-occuring with the Time Sergeant blusteringly chasing after it as they both weaved a path into, through and around the parade. Finally the B as a buzzing bee went buzzing off over the hill and completely out of sight.
“Gosh!” exclaimed Seb with a smile “how exhauting”. No sooner had he soke when another B came into sight followed by an O, a Y, another B, an L, then a U and finally an E. Upon the arrival of the E the letters transformed into a real little boy, Boy Blue, blowing a horn as he danced along to the March Of Time. He was accompanied by Baa Baa Black sheep and her numerous friends the cows who were dotted around the fields along the way. The poor Time Sergeant seemed totally perplexed at this turn of events, yet still he politely continued shouting “keep moving, keep moving” to the ranks of marchers who were humming away and singing as Boy Blue and his friends slowly made their way up and over the hill.
“If we only had time to just sit and stare
To just spin around in a swivel chair
To say hello to every passer by
To see the friendly twinkle in their eye
But march, march, march we must
Together we march from dawn to dusk.
Without notice or indication an enormous yellow, black and blue coloured B rolled into view and as it slowed, slowed, slowed down, it became a rather large young man.
“It’s Billy Bunter” exclaimed Seb in a muffled voice, with his hand over his mouth.
It was indeed and Billy Bunter waived up at the window as he passed by asking if they had any cream cakes and when they answered “sorry, no we haven’t”
Billy Bunter lamented “crikey, crikey, where’s Venables or Jennings when a chap needs them?
Just as suddenly Billy Bunter rolled over and into the rather large rounded letter B again, rolling up and over the hill it went, far far away.
“Time, if I only had time” the immaculately uniformed Time Sergeant could be heard chanting again.
1234
1234
Keep ongoing just as before
You know you can, you know you must
March and march from dawn to dusk
1234
1234
Stamp your feet upon the floor
Past every house and every door
As will as now and as before
1234
1234
March march march in line
March until the end of time
March and march ever so sternly
March and march on to eternity
The rhythmic, gentle humming went on as the March of Time carried on into the distance. Then out of a pack of playing cards jumped Bobby Shaftoe, his silver buckles ringing out in a jingle jangle whilst he sang,
“As E=MC squared
Boy Scouts must be prepared
To do their duty and not for a dime
As then as now till the end of time
Till the end of time is just a rhyme,
Singing which makes us all feel fine.
Like a train - time is rushing
Against it all of us are brushing
Time can be so nice so stunning
Time can also be so cruel so crushing
Time can be so lovely so sublime,
Only this i wish for your lifetime
Bobby Shaftoe was dancing, twirling and looking up to the window when he gently called out,
“I’m off to sea, but when I come back I will marry Mary Mary quite contrary. Although in truth she hasn’t said she would yet, but then again she hasn’t said she won’t either. Apparently she has conflictimng reasons why she might or might not marry me, or anyone else for that matter. “
Then off he danced with buckles jangling all the while.
“1234 1234”
Repeated the resplendent Time Sergeant
“come on you marchers, keep on moving
keep on proving
this isn’t difficult, it isn’t hard
he said to the two of hearts card
yes it is said the 9 of diamonds
we’ve been skipping & stepping
for hundreds of thousands….
“Quiet in the ranks” whispered the Time Sergeant,
“some are sleep walking
please no shouting or loudly talking”
1234 1234
“I agree” said the Bird flying over head
“and so do we” said the two in the hedge
“Do you always agree with each other?”
asked the Time Sergeant to the birds.
“Yes” they both replied in unison.
“because we get along just fine,
come rain or shine,
whatever the weather,
we birds of a feather always stick together”
C is the beginning of Christmas, Children, Cats, Cubs and Climate Change Culture,
Charlotte, Chloe, Crabtree and ChiangMai….
Without warning a cold, strong gust of air blew into Seb and Pum’s window, flew around the bedroom ruffling the bedding and curtains then whispered with a howl.
“Come listen you all when the Cold North Wind blows
Its loud at times like a thousand BELLOWING BANJOS
Cold enough to send you home with a dribbling BLUE NOSE
Strong enough to blow slates off the roofs of CHATEAUS
Blow away your CLOTHES and silence the CROWS.
It can screech and squall like a thousands of CELLOS
T’was the Cold North Wind that blew away all the DODOS
It can be fearsome, frightening with thunderous ECHOES
Frosts over Santa’s GROTTOS
and blows away the Angels HALOS
No one can doze when the Cold North Wind BLOWS
It makes MINNOWS of MACHOS
And reddens the sore NOSE
Billows the NIGHTCLOTHES
The old lady stays home and by the fire she SEWS
When the Cold North Wind BLOWS
Sometimes it SNOWS
And the traffic it SLOWS
Doors, windows and shutters it can UNCLOSE
Turns the green leaves YELLOWs
Where the Cold North Wind comes from, nobody really knows.”
With that the wind wafted back out through the window swirling over the marching numbers creating ice on the ground causing several of the numbers to slip and fall. For a moment it looked like this was going to cause a pile up, however the rest calmly marched around the disturbance and with helping hands pulled the fallen few back to their feet. Not even the Cold North Wind could halt the march of time soldier bandsmen.
“Thats the spirit “ Called out the Time Sargeant in approval.
“Let nothing stop you not even the Cold North Wind
Let not your marching spirits be dimmed.
For you are Time’s bandsmen, of honesty and trust,
Forever marching onwards from dawn until dusk.
As the Cold North Wind blew out over the hill Curly Locks came into sight and in the air you could hear the Cold North Wind shiveringly whispering....
“Where Have You Been Curly Locks, what have you seen?”
“I’ve been to London” said Curly Locks “visiting the Queen”
Turning to the Time Sergeant Curly Locks, who’s hair was ungovernably bouncing to the rhythm of the march and asked him why they were in such a hurry and could he possibly slow time down for a moment, so that he could compose himself.
“Oh no that will never do” said the Time Sargent, “we can’t speed time up nor can we slow it down, we must always arrive precisely on time”.
Curly locks though for a moment and then enquired again.
“When you arrive where you are going, where will that place be ?”
But by now the Time Sergeant had already marched on ahead and Curly Locks was left standing looking puzzled briefly before he called out.
“I’ve seen the Queen you know, so there is nowhere else for me to go.”
And with that he turned and skipped off in the opposite direction repeating.
“My name is Curly Locks and I’ve visited the Queen
Her palace is the nicest palace I’ve seen
I go there quite often as oft as I may,
Infact I shall go there again this very fine day.”
D begins Dear, deer, doing doodle drawings, December, Didsbury, Derby, Dad, Daphne, Deaw, Diane and Diligent Drummers Drumming….
🥁 1 🥁 2 🥁 3 🥁 4
Seb and Pum looked at each other with a quizzical look as they could see a strange sight heading their way in the distance and towering over and above the March of TIme.
As it came closer they were amazed to discover that it was Charles Dickens who was reading to his daughters Mary & Katey from a long note book, the paper of which flowed majestically behind the three of them. Mr Dickens was informing the attentive children that he had great expectations that Pip and Mr Pickwick would soon become a well respected person in his own right but as for Scrooge then it might just be some little time he retorted before his conscience would get the better of his current demeanour. “What of Nicholas?” asked the girls in unison, to which Dickens replied “Matters will improve as indeed they will for Little Nell and a few others like Mr Micawber, but alas not before much heartbreak and sorrow.
As they passed by Seb and Pums window this giant of 19th century literature and his little daughters paused for a second to say hello and the daughters asked if had they seen Oliver Twist as he seemed to have gone missing, then onwards they strolled with Mr Dickens and Time marching ever onwards, relentlessly so.
As the Dickens’s passed away out of sight a very clangy sound came into earshot...
Ding Dong, Ding Dong, Dong Ding, “What on earth is that sound” asked Pum. “I don’t know” replied Seb but they soon found out as it became so loud that they both covered their ears as Ding Dong Bell came literally galloping over the horizon on a white horse and headed their way. Even the March of Time bandsmen and woman held their hands to their ears as Ding Dong Bell clanged past at a great speed trailing an enormous / giant brass bell on a rope in its wake. The dinging and donging was bizarrely forming sounds like words which were saying.
“we’re on our way to Banbury Cross to lend my white horse to a rather fine Lady,
Then ding dong ding dong off to save a pussy in a deep well....maybe,
Off we must go, as fast as the wind would be a wish of mine
For the Lady can’t wait and for pussy’s sake....I must get there on time”
And then Dinging and Donging they were gone, over the hill and far away, just as quickly, thank goodness, as they had arrived.
“PHEW” said Seb “let's hope Ding Dong Bell finds a church to rest in and leave that giant bell behind so that everyone can get some peace and quiet, hells bells, what a noise that was”
“Hands off your ears” said the Time Sergeant “keep striding onwards, ever onwards” he encouraged.
“You know you can you know you must
arrive on time, twist or bust
It is our aim, its all we do
So that your dreams in time will come true
As his voice faded Seb and Pum could hear the numbers chanting “hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock, the clock struck” and at this precise point in time all the marchers looked up at Seb and Pum and in one voice shouted and I mean shouted “One” then looked away again, all whilst marching onwards and the rhyme continued, “hickory dickory dock”. A little dormouse nervously scuthered behind the clock protesting.
“It wasn’t me” I’m just a dormouse
I don’t live in the clock but a hole in a wall in a house”.
The clock, which was now following the mouse, could be heard singing in a ringing sort of way.
“There is a mouse stuck in my workings
I’ve become all juddery with the jerkings
It was the mouse inside my house
it didn’t squeak and it didn’t shout
But it was tickly and down right prickly”.
“How odd” Seb and Pum thought here was a clock worrying about a mouse who in turn was busy denying any involvement “but wait” said Seb “do you see Pum the mouse has just jumped inside the clock and its running around? And do you see the clock has only got the number one all around its face, once it’s reached the hour it is always heading for one o’clock....how strange, it’s a one hour one o’clock clock”....
They shouted down to the mouse that they thought he said it wasn’t his fault and yet there he was in the clock right now. To which the mouse squeaked back that if he was going to be forever blamed for running up and down the clock then he might as well run up and down the clock and have lots of fun doing it. The mouse paused for a moment and then finished off by blurting out defiantly “so there!”
At this the clock was absolutely furious and kept ringing its bell in the hope that the noise would make the dormouse go away. But as they disappeared into the distance the mouse could still be seen running up and down the clock. Up and over the hill they went with the clock ringing out its verse....
As the clocks verse began to fade Seb and Pums attention was drawn to the rather well dressed but very wet man who had made an appearance below their window.
“I must I must”, He repeated in a well spoken but shivery voice. He was wearing a suite, an opened long overcoat, a trilby hat whilst carrying a blown inside out umbrella. “Look at that” remarked Pum. “That man coming towards us has a cloud above his head and it keeps raining on him. He’s wet through.” At that very moment the poor man disappeared up to his middle in a rather large, deep puddle of water. “Its Dr Foster” realised Seb.
The man looked up to the window and acknowledged to them that he was indeed Dr Foster and he was on his way to Gloucester and added that he wouldn’t be going there ever again.
Dr Foster climbed out of the puddle shaking as much of the water off himself as he could and announced with a splutter,
“I’m Dr Foster heading for Gloucester but I’m very sad I came
It’s always raining, always pouring I may never come here again
I wear my coat, my hat and even an umbrella
Plus a scarf which I borrowed from my wife named Prunella.
I’m so damp so wet so chilled right through
I fear I might catch a dose of the flu.
My nose is running, I feel a cold coming,
what is a poor Doctor to do.
I’m Dr Foster on my way to Gloucester with a rain cloud over my head,
I can’t stop now, I don’t know how and I’ve a patient tucked up in bed
My feet are wet; it won’t stop raining, so briskly must I go,
I might just say, I fear I must, my blood pressure feels rather low”
At that DR Foster doffed his hat and meandered down the road falling into a puddle from time to time until he disappeared into what looked like the mists of time.
E begins Einstein, Equation & E=MC2, Eager, Energetic, Exceptional Elizabeth, Ethel, Emilie and Eiffel-Tower….
The Time Sergeant was moving up and down the ranks checking all was in order when into sight came a large letter E.
As the letter E passed under their window he looked up and began petitioning the two of them.
“How are you Seb, how are you Pum
I’m so hungry I have a pain deep in my tum.
Eeee by gum I do feel glum
Please ask your mum to spare some cake, a pie or a plum
Seb and Pum searched around and found a piece of chocolate cake which they passed down to the letter E who beamed with delight thanking them.
“Thank you Seb, thank you Pum
I’ll eat it all, every last crumb”
All the way up and over the hill the E journeyed on, eating the cake and turning just before going out of sight to wave goodbye.
F is for For, Four, February, Foursocks, Fishing For Five Fish in a Fountain, Flute, Firshill, Founding Fathers and Five, Fluffy Flamingo’s...
Before long a thud, thud, thudding sound could be heard coming out of the ranks of time, who were, it must be said, wobbling slightly and looking a little less orderly than usual. The thudding became louder, so much so that both Seb and Pum had to hold on tight to their window frame. They were both wondering what on earth could be responsible for such a commotion, when around the corner came the biggest, tallest, heaviest, gargantuan giant imaginable uttering in a gruff yet not scary voice, well maybe just a little scary.
“Fee Fi Fo Fum, is that you Seb is that you Pum,
Or is that the scent of a cinnamon bun.
After these words Pum and Seb began to feel a little alarmed but they needn't have been as the Giant followed on.
“I’m hungry Seb, I’m hungry Pum
Please, if only you could spare one bun
today I’ve eaten less than a crumb
That’s why my face looks so glum,
Fee Fi Fo Fum”.
Pum said to Seb “We only have the chocolate cake like we gave to the letter E” and so they held a rather large piece out of their window, since he was a giant after all.
“We haven’t any cinnamon buns, only some chocolate cake, but we will happily share it with you, would that be sufficient?” asked Pum. The giant was so tall he had to bend over to look in the window.
He reached out and gently picked the piece of cake from her hands between his finger and thumb with a surprising dexterity and gentleness.
“I really like chocolate cake” replied the giant with a broad grin emerging at the corners of his mouth.
“is it one you often make?
which I’m about to partake,
If it is dear Seb and Pum
for your cake again I will come”
And off he went scoffing the cake whilst the thunderous thudding rattled all the windows and all the doors and even swayed the tree’s branches. For a moment the giant paused and began sniffing wafts of air into his huge nostrils. After a few sniffs he resumed thundering off but in a different direction, as it happens it was the same direction that the letter E had taken.
“ Oh dear!” exclaimed Pum, I think the giant is after poor old letter E’s cake too. He wouldnt steal it would he?
“ No, I don't think he would do that, he seemed quite nice” replied Seb whilst secretly harbouring quite the opposite opinion, having read a good many stories about giants, many of whom were irredeemable scoundrels to say the least.
Then out of the numbers came a rather dishevelled man with what looked like straw sticking out of his hat. As he came past the window he took off his hat and said,
“Farmer, farmer I’m the farmer in the dell
I grows wheat, barley and potatoes to sell
I take them to market in my large wheeled tractor
I work hard, long hours, I’m quite a grafter
So do come along and see the produce on offer
Grown from many an acre to put coin in my coffer
So on I must go to market to market
To put coin in my pocket to buy food for the skillet
So goodbye dear Seb and goodbye dear Pum
But I may see you again if to the market you both do come”.
He was then gone, with the humming marchers down the road in his bright red tractor pulling behind a large cart full of his farm produce, up and over the hill to market.
G begins Gentle Genial Giant who takes
Gargantuan steps, Geoffrey and Good….
Almost immediately there was a flurry of feathers as Goosy Goosy Gander who flew timelessly into view, came into land by the marching bandsmen, slipped on the ice still left behind by the Cold North Wind and came to a halt by bumping into and skittling over numerous numbers.
Goosy Goosy flapped her wings quite vigorously
and very ignominiously
sending helmets into flight
landing in a heap, oh what a sight....
“Steady, steady” kindly shouted the Time Sergeant, who managed to dodge Goosy Goosy, “pick yourselves up, brush yourselves down and keep on moving” he said to some of the fallen numbers. “We haven’t got time to play skittles” he said, but in a kindly concerned voice.
The hum of time continued beautifully, so very magically Seb and Pum commented.
“Time if we only had time, time to play,
to play all day,
till we were done, then rest in the golden sun,
whilst eating cakes, a Sally Lunn bun
oh what delicious fun
reverie until kingdom come...
“Stop dreaming” said the Time Sargent , “stop dreaming, keep glimmering ahead of yourselves and do keep in time, untidiness will never do”
“Pick up Goosy Goosy Gander, where shall she wander” the numbers all shouted at once. At that a rather sad Goosy Goosy looked back at the numbers a little tear rolling down her face then turning she waddled off with the Time Sergeants' arm on her wing. The Time Sergeant said “lets wander together on into time.
Goosy Goosy Gander smiled, flapped her wings, quite vigorously actually sending helmets once more into flight before she took to the air then circled the time numbers and letters again before serenely flying quite out of sight....
The bandsmen kept on strumming
Humming, bugling, kept on coming,
kept on drumming.
They are never early, never late,
walking, marching is their happy fate….
“I’m tired” said Pum to Seb “but I can’t stop watching, time is so very interesting and so funny at times and sad at other times, there I keep saying time, maybe its time for me to stop”. “But look over there” said Pum “there is an enormous PiE rolling over the hill towards us, the numbers, letters, the bandsmen”.
And there was, it was slowly rolling merrily along then all of a sudden it grew two arms, two legs and a head, then just as suddenly completely changed into a boy.
The numbers who obviously kept on marching, looked on in astonishment whilst chanting...
Rolling rolling came the pie
er did spy it with our eye”
Then suddenly oh so suddenly
they did cry
“It’s Georgie Porgie Pudding & Pie
Who kissed the girls and made them cry”....
They carried on singing Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie until the words faded and then Georgie Porgie came up to the window and asked Seb and Pum if they had seen Goldilocks because he wanted to kiss her.
“No we haven’t” said Pum in a quiet, friendly yet no nonsense voice “and if we had we wouldn’t tell you because you might make her cry”.
“Oh alright then” said Georgie Porgie, looking at a rather unsympathetic Pum and Seb “I will go and find some other girls to kiss, but thank you anyway”
And off he went, blowing them a kiss as he disappeared into the crowd of numbers looking for a girl when a voice could be heard calling out in a rather demure voice…
“Here I am, I’m little jumping Joan”
Georgie Porgie kissed little jumping Joan who immediately began to cry, they all did when Georgie Porgie kissed them. Off he went and suddenly changed back into a rather large pie again rolling away into the distance with yes it was little jumping Joan jumping after him calling out “wait for me wait for me, I’m going to wallop your pie crust with my stick for kissing me”. How funny the bandsmen, numbers and alphabet thought, then began humming,
“There went little jumping Joan
Jumping jumping all alone
When kissed how she did grown
because Georgie left her all alone
to jump and cry all her way home”
Off she jumped over the bandsmen, numbers heads and bushes leaving little river-lets of teardrops until far off into the distance until she jumped right over the horizon and was gone.
The marchers and followers continued their relentless march of time whilst the Time Sergeant asked them ever so politely to...
“keep on marching keep on you must
keep on marching from dawn to dusk
keep on keeping on all the way there
where is there, why there is where
so my friends and acquaintances alike
up and down the hills we hike
never ever to stop and stare
to stop time we would never dare”
Onwards, ever onwards we must go
Over the hills and the lush meadow
In and out of every doorway
church, shop, school and walkway
Up and down the city highway
March with stewards on every skyway
Tramp tramp up the ships gangway
over every archway, toll way
down each and every subway
Through the villages, the lonely bye way
Over Wimbledon Commons trampled causeway
Through every country including Norway
Past every house and office window
at night when all is sleeping, no one peeping,
we march on tiptoe
our musical instruments always to hand
through countries far and wide especially Thailand”
1234, 1234….
Onwards Time marched when as the humming died down to a beautiful low Barry White like tone, in a quiet, gentle, gravelled ordnance could be heard enunciating a very strange very curious verse….
H is for Hatter, Honest, Humerus, Humongously and Hilariously Happy Helpful Harry….
“Hark hark this is haunting Harry
Do not yourselves ever dilly dally
Hark hark the wild dogs are a barking
they are skulking, lurking, hunting
Every paw step they are syncing
Hark hark the light is dwindling
So soon only to be moonlighting
Hurry home home before gas lighting
Hark hark the wild dogs are a barking
Don’t get caught for some like biting”
Then off haunting Harry snuck off just as quietly, steadfastly and eerily as he had appeared.
“Wow” said Pum “that was a little frightening don’t you think Seb, but wait there, over there I can see Bok, Zara, Daphne, Four-socks and Muji they will protect us, scare the wild dogs away...our lovely four pawed friends”.
“Well we are safe in our home and anyway the dogs may all be friendly like ours are so lets look who we can see next Pum” said a calm and comforting Seb…..
I begins the Insipid, Inevitably Infamous Ivan,
Inventive, Informative, Inspirational, Imperial,
and Irresistible, Inviting, Idyllic, Impactful Italy...
No sooner had the words come out of Sebs mouth when heavy music could be heard, Prokofiev type music and how appropriate this was as walking head and shoulders above the marching numbers was Ivan, Ivan the Terrible.
“I’m not terrible” he said to Pum and Seb
“They call me that and sadly me all people dread
Because my voice is deep and strong,
and my hair is jet black and long
and I’m Ivan the Terrible all year long
I do wish they wouldn’t, I think it’s most unfair
I never mean them to frighten or scare.
They say I have the devil's eyes, my nose it is blood red
But do you know I am most well-read,
that always seems to go unsaid.
This is my lot, such a terrible fable,
and will for all time make people tremble,
Whenever they hear the name...Ivan the Terrible”.
“Well” said Seb as Ivan slunk off towards the hills, “we think it is terrible Ivan, sorry didn’t mean to be funny, but we are sure time will tell all” but Ivan was gone.
He didn’t stop, his name to debate
Or why so many him do hate
He just slank away with tears in his eyes
Eyes as dark as black pudding pies
Never to look back or say any more
He was sure that everyone knew the score
About his life written down like a parable
About the life and TiMES of Ivan the Terrible….
Time, time will tell all said the Time Sergeant in a concerned but polite manner, “we don’t have time to tell you anything, we simply do not have any time to spare, just time to tell the time, by marching onwards, ever onwards while reciting”...
“I is for Insidious, for Implied and Impale
That was Ivan the Terrible that was the tale.
Well it was so long ago it was Time Immemorial
and hopefully not informatively factorial”...
J begins Jay, Joy, January, June,
July, Jacqueline, Joyce, Janine, Just,
Jog, Jest, Jaunty Jolly Jester John,
Julia and John C’s Jazz….
Just at that moment in a flash in a dashing
with out giving anyone a timely warning,
but giving everyone a jolt quite a start,
it was he who yes he who stole the tart.....
Out leapt the Knave of Hearts
A little bit cheeky knave who darts
In, out, up and down the ramparts
Taking raspberry tarts to his sweethearts
What an upstart he who no one outsmarts
The rogue, that rapscallion Knave of hearts
“Would you like a raspberry tart” the knave asked Pum, holding a rather delicious looking tart right up to the window. “No thank you said Seb”, in a pleasant enough yet firm voice.
“Oh really” said the knave
who was not at all that brave,
not brave enough to press Pum
to take the tart the raspberry bun
and off he scampered, he did run.
“I didn’t want the tart” said Pum
“even though the raspberry bun
did smell exceedingly nice
I could have eaten it in a trice”.
“I thought the knave was rather improper
To assume that I would be his shopper
His actions nearly made him come a cropper”.
“But still he was a friendly sort
Even though he does cavort
With all the girls and all their friends
The wrong message he always sends”.
“Yes” said Seb “I do agree
And all of us and more can see
That even though he oft offend
His conviviality does this trait transcend”
So let us to the window go again
Until the moon does wax and wane
to watch the interesting march of time
Until the end, the end of time…..
“Yes” said Pum, “we must and I trust”
“the bands of TiME are still in a perfect marching line”...
“the end of time” said the Time Sergeant in a most polite yet somewhat startled voice.
“I have never heard such a thing,
beyond the end of time,
beyond,
beyond the,
beyond the end,
beyond the end of,
beyond the end of time”.
“Oh dear, oh dear, I am sure you did not mean that, did you, well there is no such thing as the end of time because you see time is endless as we all know. Just look at my bandsmen, alphabet letters, nursery rhyme characters, numbers they stretch as far as the eye can see in both directions and that is a long, long way, and they go on forever and a day, so there you are that proves it”.
“Well I never, beyond the end of time, dear me” the Time Sergeant kept saying. If time were to end, oh what would we do......
“then we would all,
we would all,
would all ,
all,
then,
then we,
then we would,
then we would all,
well it doesn’t bear thinking about does it”.
“Come on time marches let's keep on,
I know I keep going on and on and on,
you know it all makes sense
and you never ever take offence
So lets all march in time, 1234, 1234...
And on they went, on, on and on.
Ever so suddenly there could be heard much noise and commotion within the ranks and out popped a rather splendidly dressed King, although he did look a little dishevelled. His crown was almost falling off his head and his golden belt had been fastened whilst twisted, the wrong way round and he was actually wearing different coloured knee length socks. Oh yes he had cut himself several times whilst shaving, his hair was bedraggled and unkempt, he was just a little overweight and his tight, knee length trousers were split at the sides. He kept dropping his mace and sceptre whilst tripping over the smallest of objects, such as a piece of straw, a cobweb or blade of grass. Apart from these minor problems he was perfectly all right as he came tripping and skipping towards Pum and Sebs window, merrily calling up to them in a sort of Kingly, yet apologetically spluttering whisper,
K is for Kay, Key, Kayleigh, King Kong,
Ketchup, Kellogg’s, Kilimanjaro and Kiss….
“I am a King, King Clumsy is my name
Some times, well actually quite often, I fumble and stumble
Which can when I fall, give me some pain
But I mustn’t mumble because others never grumble
When I amble, ramble, tumble into their game
They can see I am noble, even if in a jumble
I am the very symbol of how not to be nimble, that is plain
They quite soon do me rumble but they know I am humble
because I promise never ever to bother them again”.
Then stumbling and fumbling he passed by the window waving to Pum and Seb whilst dropping his mace and sceptre again all whilst pulling up his trousers and tripping over his own shadow.
Off he tripped, literally into the numbers never to be seen again except you could hear the fuss he was making until out of earshot and over the distant hill.
Again a talking sound could be heard, it was becoming louder and louder until Seb and Pum could make out that it was saying,
L begins Leather, Lovely Lively London, Lüc,
Lantern Lights, Liverpool, Lovely Lapwing Lane,
Locarno and “Luck of the Legion”....
L is for Light whose speed is beyond our understanding
and L is when airplanes come into Landing
and L is for Limericks which make us all Laugh
L is for a match when Lighting the gas
L is for Lender of funding or goods
L is for Lawyers who are disliked by hoods
And L is Launder of clothing or money
And L is for Liar giving false testimony
L is for Laser that beam of red Light
And L is for going home, Late at night
L is for Ledger the book of one's Life
And L is for Lanterns which in the dark burn so bright
L is for Longitude that helps mariners home
And L is for Loadstone attracting those who roam
And L is for Listen - to the sound of the waves
L is for Leeward home, before Davy Jones Locker enslaves
L is for Light, travelling at unimaginable speed
And L is for a Light year, a Long, Long time indeed
L is for Launch, to find Life out side our solar system
And L is for Lonely, in this our galactic sanctum
L is for the Law, all you Larrikins and Layabouts
And L is for a Lengthy sentence five years or thereabouts
L is for Let’s change, Live and above all Love Life
And L is for Lastly - Live Long Lasting Life.
L then looked at the Time Sergeant and all his Time Marches and said
“Loquaciously, live, long, loyal, loving, lionhearted, legerity like lives”
And then the L, Legged it and was Lost in time....
“Lost in time” said the Time Sergeant, “lost in time well whatever next”.
“How can you get lost in time, well I suppose you could if you didn’t have the time to see where you were going or if you simply lost your watch, or if you lost your mind or”, but before he could say any more what looked like three girls came hurriedly
skipping towards him, but as they got closer it was obvious to the Time Sergeant, Seb and Pum that it was one girl but with two shadows.
Suddenly the girl called out to Seb and Pum saying....
M is for Men Marching, Musically Melodic,
Mum, Maclean, Maria, March, Manchester,
May, Mena, Margaret, Meen, Meilian and a very Memorable Monday Morning in Melbourne…
“Mikki, I’m Mikki, Mindy, Mendi you know
as I skip I go to and fro
My hair’s tied up with a ribbon and a bow
My eyes are blue and my cheeks glow”.
“Do you like skipping all over and around
As I skip I don’t look down at the ground
Skipping is a favourite pass time of mine
I skip here, there, everywhere, all of the time
As long as the rope will never entwine”.
“I’m Mikki, Mindy, Mendi the girl with two shadows
And where ever I go my shadows follows
We skip over hills and we skip over dales
And where ever we go we leave beautiful trails”.
I am Mikki my shadows are Mindy, Mendi
We smile when were’r skipping, we are ever so friendly
My shadow at the front is best friend Mindy
And the one at the back is my best friend Mendi”.
“Off we must go now for time is going fast
We must keep on skipping it’s our happy task.
My shadows and me are so pleased to have met you
But we really must skip, dash and wish you adieu”.
All too soon they were gone, off into the distance skipping up and over the hill leaving a lovely trail of multicoloured fresh petals as they went along their skipping way.
N begins Northwind, Noisy and
a Nippy November Night….
“That was lovely” said Pum tiredly yawning and with a little tear in her eye, as she wanted to speak to them a moment longer, but before Pum could get any sadder out of nowhere sprang a boy called Nick.
He sprang right up to the window and said to Pum in a sort of quiet, gentle yet wide awake way;
“My name is Nick, Nick OF Time
So don’t you worry Pum, you will be just fine
I will make you smile and I will talk in rhyme
I will take you both to story land and back,
and all in the Nick of Time”
Nick of Time asked Pum and Seb if he could take them both off on a magical journey and after considering for a little while they both agreed. Before Pum new it off they both went with Nick of Time on a cloud of dazzling white, with a beautiful silver lining. Over the hills and away into the far off distance they went and looking down from the cloud they could see Time far below them. “Look” said Pum “there is far off time to come and over there is yesteryear time, there is time for tea, they are all eating cakes and drinking Yorkshire tea”. “This is wonderful” said Pum to Seb who was looking at Music Time in the form of many and varied genres….
There could be seen
such a musical scene
Of Jazz, Soul and plenty of Hip Hop,
Country, Folk, Classical and Pop.
Rhyme and Blues, Swing and Singing,
Choirs, Disco with many Be Bopping.
Percussion, Jazz Fusion, Rock, Romantic,
Techno, Grunge, New Wave, Electronic.
Ambient, Soundtrack, Progressive, Orchestral,
Hard Rock, Death Metal, Opera, Medieval.
Heavy Metal, Art, Ska and Trance,
Dubstep, World and regular Dance.
Blues, Hardcore, Indie and Punk,
Trad Jazz, Gospel not forgetting Funk.
Yes it was this and much more all going on in a magical,
melodious, musical, cacophony of sound….
Then just as suddenly they were gone, lost in yesterday and days gone by….
“Look over there” said Pum “it's all the Times Tables, I can see all of them from 2 x 2 right up to 12 x12, they are all counting in time, how wonderful and rhythmical it is”.
2 x 2 is four & 2 x 3 is six
If you practice your tables well
You will never get in a mathematical fix
2 x 4 is 8 and 2 x 5 is 10
If you practice your tables well
You’ll get them right - time and time again...
“Look over there” said Pum “it’s the 11 times table”, and it was;
11 x 2 is 22 & 11 x 3 is 33
it all becomes quite elementary
And
11 x 4 is 44 & 11 x 5 is 55
isn’t it great to be alive
Hummed 111,111bees in their hive….
Up, off and away went the cloud as Nick of Time said,
“Over there you will see
Time to Laugh & Time to Be
There’s Harvest Time & Holiday Time
Break Time & Coffee Time
Time for a Laugh
even Time for a Gaff
Lunch Time, Play Time
Past Time and Present Time
Time to Think
and Time to Blink
Over there is the Super Duper
Time machine of the Future
And ah yes, we are just in time
To hear Seb’s computer Music Time”
On the Catwalk of Time
we see beautiful Fashion
Pums creative Designs made
from fine Cotton and Satin
There are Sad Times
sometimes
but mostly Happy Times
Day Time, Night Time
Reverie Time and BedTime”.
“Oh dear” Nick of Time said “it is Home Time,
I must get you home now in the Nick of Time”
Pum had a sort of hazy feeling in her head and she could hear Nick of Time in the distance saying -
“Pum It’s Time to go hooooooome It’s Time to go hooooooooome”
Then Pum woke up with Seb saying “come on Pum wake up you’re missing Time to go home passing by our window with lots and lots of friends”.
Pum thought she must have had a little Dream Time and not realised it. As she looked out of the window Time to go home was just going past with lots of friends following on behind and there Nick of Time was waving up at Pum saying
“Thank you Seb, thank you Pum
But I must go now, I must run.
I’ve enjoyed being you, with you both,
this is the truth this is my quoth.
“just in the nick
just in the nick
just in the Nick if Time”.
And off he ran, nicking in and out of the humming numbers and alphabet letters, along the road and over the far off hill just as a large letter O came into view...
O begins Oh, Owe, Oriel, Odette, October, Opel,
Over and Out, Oldham, Olive Oil & the Owls….
“I am O, totally round you know
360 degrees I go, fast medium or slow
Too and fro and around the clock I go
Once I rolled over the sea to Orlando
then over the rainbow to a cold Oslo
Then sometimes you know
I am a name, just “O”
“Oh, hello” said O to Pum and Seb, as it gently rolled up to their window saying in a sort of rounded accent,
“Pum, Seb, did you know there is an O in windOw
The is an O in aglow, follow and two in hollow
There is One in one and gone and from
But two in sorrow and three tomorrow
And only one in morning, none in yawning
But two in good, wood and flood
But only one in the other would
O is a vowel, one of the five
From which all our words do derive
I must roll off and be-gone,
I hovered, stopped here for too long
Always be happy Pum and Seb
be well read, fed and incred—ibly happy
Oh by gosh by golly always be jolly
and be well rounded like me.
Off O went on a bicycle because he was quite tired of rolling everywhere. The bicycle had an O at the front and an O at the rear and together the three O’s rolled up, over the hill and far away singing as they rolled....
“O what a lovely shape I am
360 degrees just like a tin can,
My shape is perfectly 360 round,
and can always, always be found
in words like jolly, holly and Polly
sorry, lorry and monopoly.”
“Oh what a rounded O I am
As round as a round tin can”
“Oh my O O my
What a rounded O am I”
Repeating this, almost annOyingly, O rolled over the hill and far away.
The Time Sergeant called his troops to order asking them in a very friendly but positive way to....
“Keep on marching you know the score
past every window and every door
You know we have to...you know it makes sense
The marching you do is quite immense
There is no pretence, suspense or expense
But a prevalence for lots of common sense
Come on my troops so just as before
March past every window, every door...
1234, 1234,
Past every window and every door
Past every window and every door
As the rhythmic counting drifted away Seb and Pum both at the same time, said :-
P is for Phenomenally Phlegmatic, PAi, Piyanuch, Peing-or, Page-Hall Place, Polite People and Pleasantly Peaceful Poland….
“Look over there, what is it, what is it”....
Then as this at first unrecognisable thing became clearer, they again said in unison:-
“It’s a Phenomenon”!
And it was, in the shape of a Persian ploughman person
then a purple puffin perched on a pylon
whilst a pink python eyed up a petrified penguin
all of which was being pencilled
by a placid, professional, phlegmatic penman”.
“Pulsating” said Seb to Pum....
The Phenomenon moved away in a gathering cloud of swirling mist like tiny Ping Pong balls until nothing could be seen, just a white powdery mass as it drifted off into the distance and was gone as quick as it came. “Phew” said Pum to Seb – “how odd was that” .... “Phenomenal” said Seb....
At this another Time Sergeant could be heard yet again encouraging his timeless troupes of bandsmen, numbers, alphabet letters and nursery rhyme characters...
“One two three four keeping on counting as before
You’re good you’re professional to your very cord
planting, stamping your boots on the floor
I couldn’t ask for anything more
marching in time you never ignore
I do hope your feet never get sore
One two three four
Past every window every door........1234....1234....
Q begins Queue, Queen, Quince, Quest,
Quality Street, Quizz, Quaint, Quite Quiet...
Pum gently called down to the passing Time Sargent, she didn’t want to scare any of them and quietly asked him who were those people standing in a line stretching back in time. The Time Sergeant informed Pum in a sort of rhythmic way;
“It is the Queue of time and they must wait forever
They are very worldly and ever so clever
Some of them are young and some are old
They are happy, so I am told
But Q they must from dawn till dusk
probably longer still, they really must
But they do it well they are never joyless
waiting they are joyous and do Q-ing justice
So they wait, wait, wait at times gate
Never early, never ever, ever late
It’s the Q of Time, we leave them to it
To stop them would require a judicial writ
which would be Quite laborious
Quite Quibbling and Querulous
The QC would Quite possibly Quit....
It’s the Q of time and they have Q-ed forever
Will they stop this practice, no never ever”
There’s no Question about it
They will Q and Q...stand or sit
There’s no Question about it
No quibbles, no quandaries...not a bit…
The Time Sargent could be heard repeating this until out of sight but then into earshot could be heard the most beautiful sound. Everything went quiet, even the marching numbers and alphabet letters walked silently as they also wanted to hear this lovely tune.
As over the hill and settling on a tree branch just a little way from Seb and Pum’s window came a Robin. It sang and sang the most beautiful sounds and everyone was in awe of its Rhapsovirtuosity.
R begins Robin Redbreast, Rhyme, Rushby Street,
Robert, Rose Cottage, Rebecca, Russell,
Red Roses, Reggae, Rabbit and Reverie….
When the Robin stopped Pum ever so quietly asked if it could sing some more as they all just loved to hear it’s tuneful song...
The Robin replied in a most beautiful, tuneful way singing
“Yes dear Seb and Pum I will sing and trill for you
It will be sweet, it will surely thrill both of you
I have sung for the King and have sung for the Queen
They love my song and say my breast is reddest seen
I sing all day from dawn till dusk
I would sing all night if they said I must”
“Other birds, though they do not envy me,
Would sit in the Rosewood and Rowan tree
to a tolerable degree, having listened to my repartee
Would sing my songs and try to copy me
but not quite, dare I say as tuneful as me
The other animals do often referee
they say solidly in favour of me.
So let me now sing for you Seb and Pum
I will sing all day, all night and then some
My tuneful song will be just for you two
And when all sung, when all through
I will wish you and Seb a fair adieu”
The little Robin Redbreast then sang the most wonderful sounds whilst flitting from branch to branch and even venturing right onto the window sill where Pum was leaning. Then in a flash it was gone, across the fields and up up into the air singing as it went, then over the hill and out of sight.
“How very nice that was of Robin Redbreast,'' said Pum to Seb, “that really was so very very lovely”. “Yes it was” he answered whilst looking back down at the March of Time numbers whilst pointing towards what looked like a boy holding a candle.
S is for Secret, St Sebastian, St John’s Avenue,
Siam, Song, Stop Start, September, Seesaw, Sousaphone, Saxophone, Symbals, Samuel Scholey, Stanisław Sługocki and Star Steel City Sheffield….
“Look over there” said Seb to Pum as the boy walked tiredly towards them holding a candle and yawning as he looked up at their window, saying;
“I am Sleepyhead and I have just been
All the way to London to visit the Queen
who was wearing emeralds of dazzling sea-green
London is quite the busiest place I have ever seen”
London was hot and I had no sun screen
But I shaded behind a colourful silk screen
In the parlour befitting our wonderful Queen
The nicest Queen that there has ever been”.
“While there I met a girl called Elzbieta Maclean
she’s the private secretary to our wonderful Queen
She told me all about the wondrous palace scene
and how the dedicated staff keep it ever so clean”.
“It was tiring and hard work walking London’s streets
I must get my head down now and under the sheets
So sleepy I feel I could not find any comfy park seats
my roof was the tree leaves through which the rain leaks”
“So on I must walk all tired and sleepy
I feel sorry for myself I’ve become rather weepy
The darkness is not nice and the shadows can be creepy
But the March of Time takes such very good care of me”.
“Yawning I must now be off, off to my bed
Sleepy, sleepy oh I am such a Sleepyhead
I am quite the tiredest boy in the world it is said
I would love to curl up on your comfy sofa-bed”
At that Sleepyhead climbed through Pum and Seb’s window and rubbing his eyes he slowly walked over to their sofa-bed, climbed on and curled up, Pum put a warm cover over him and Sleepyhead was soon fast asleep.
“We must be quiet” said Pum to Seb who agreed as they tiptoed back over to the window and just in time to see the Time Sergeant again marshalling his Marchers and saying;
“Yes Pum and Seb I can tell you that”....
“S is is for secrets never ever to be told,
To be kept like time is and forever to hold.
And S is for St Sebastian the bravest of men,
who was so courageous time and time again.
S is for the storyteller, of this true story, poems and more,
and like time he will go on writing them for evermore”....
The Time Sergeant then went into his marching voice....
“Keep marching on - don’t stand and stare
to stop marching we really mustn’t dare
For the March of Time is what we are here for
To march on for ever and ever and then some more”
My Marchers are honest, true and good
To stop and rest they never ever would
Time is correct and right, always
onwards we will march for all our days”
So come on my men and women marchers too
march perfectly in time, as if stuck together by glue
We never miss a beat a second or a stride
forever onwards together with passion and pride”.
1234 march, march as before
You the know the way you know the drill
To march on forever we surely will
1234 march, march as before 1234, 1234”.
The Time Sergeant politely but correctly strode off again keeping the endless lines of marchers in perfect Synchronisation and the Alphabet letters kept following on either side of them along with the numbers and nursery rhyme characters….
“March March we are the March of time
Marching always in perfect line
March march we must
From dawn to dusk
Then some more
Forevermore
March March we are the March of time
Marching to our endless rhyme
Marching marching marching still
Marching now and we always will”
1234, 1234….
T begins Time, Tick Tock, Tea & Toast, Tambourine,
Trombone, Trumpet, Theodore, Timothy, Tom, Tony, Trani, Toffee, The Telegraph, Top Hat, The Clouds and not forgetting Teddy 🧸 …...
The Time Sergeant looked at his wrist watch and called out in a very timely manner….
“Time Time Time Time
T is the very beginning of Time
and e is the end of it’s spelling
Yet there is no actual end of Time
This we are always you telling
It might be the end of tea time
Or even the end of play time
But I am telling you this, Mr and Miss
for the very last time
There will never,
no never ever
be the end of Time”......
Then from out of the ranks came Two T’s and they were speaking, very politely in unison whilst looking up at Seb and Pum.
“We’re Tiny Tim & Tommy Tucker
We go together just like bread and butter
Tim’s legs are short, Tommys they are long
We help each other daily, all year-long
Tim is quiet and just a little shy
yet always he will steadfastly try
So that is really and truly why,
I ask you not to make him cry.
He lives his life to the full
and is always ever so cheerful
Although he is small and a little fearful
he is so very, very rarely ever tearful...
“Tommy is tall, a kind and confident person
He puts Tim first, so that things don’t worsen
He sings for their suppers and they never go without
he brings home treacle pudding and rainbow trout
So onwards they will go and be together forever
always helping each other whatever the weather
Their friendship is as precious as a magical unicorn
Tommy will never leave Tiny Tim alone or forlorn
Nor will Tim let others call Tommy Tucker any names
He is mindful of those who would play silly games
They will always stick together just you see
befriending each other beyond eternity….
Waiving good bye to Seb and Pum both Tiny Tim and Tommy Tucker skipped down the road and up and over the far distant hill with Tommy singing all the way, as it was very near their supper time.
Almost the moment they were out of sight another Thyme slipped out of the March of Time saying~
“I am an Ode to this Thyme and that Time”
“ I am Thyme the herb, I am thyme the real thyme not the other time you wait for, worry over or never have enough of. But me, I am the very quintessential smell of all time, oh I have no time to, to stop and stare, go here go there, but my fragrance goes everywhere on the wings of the breeze, with gentle ease and by ever so moderate degrees. Thyme is used for cooking and it’s very good looking. It tastes so nice when sucking so please no overlooking Thyme…..
So I thank you for taking the Time to listen to Thyme and by the Time you read this Ode to Thyme you will have Time on your hands to sense the scent of Thyme” and then as quickly as it had come it was gone, wafted away on a Thymely gentle zephyr.
“Yes said the Time Sergeant we know about the other Thyme
we like it very much and I use it in my cooking all the Time
So please take the Time to taste it, to smell it’s fragrance
to use it, to feel Thymes texture whenever you have the chance
I have been so pleased to spend just a little Time explaining
Thyme the other Thyme, although tasty and flavourly amazing
it can’t ever actually tell the Time”
In the distance the singing was continuing, constantly, in time, rhythmic and very hauntingly lovely.
“Time, time its time ticking away
coming to you from us each day
Time, time it’s time ticking away
always ticking, coming your way.
“Supper time” said the Time Sergeant, “I’m feeling hungry
I think I will have the Yorkshire Pudding left over from Sunday
With some potatoes, carrots and cabbage to heat
cooking them together to make bubble & squeak
My marches are ready for some food for their tummy
And what I will cook them will taste rather yummy
So where are my pots, my pans, my herbs and salt
They will eat on the run for time can never ever halt
So on with my cooking and then onwards we’ll dine
We will eat on the run and wash it down with fine wine
The food smells so good and is now piping hot
It tastes so delicious they will eat the whole lot
Now prepare yourselves ready for some food on the run
And for pudding a scrumptious Sally Lunn bun
Look at them eating my fine food hip hip hooray
I will feed them for ever, forever and a day
The Time Sergeant could be seen passing food out and around to all the Marchers of Time, as they strode past in unison they started to sing in a very purposeful, tuneful way;
“This is quite tasty it's really quite nice
We will eat it all up, all up in a trice
Our Time Sergeant will with us dine
He feeds us whenever, whatever the time
Onwards we march with food in our tummy
And the food he prepares us, is ever so yummy
We will eat it whilst marching without losing a second
Our Time Sergeant really is a good fellow, a legend
So sincere thanks to our Time Sergeant for seeing us right
Sincere thanks to our Time Sergeant he is our shining light
With the numbers, letters and every nursery rhyme
onwards forever we will march so perfectly in time”
“1234, past every window and every door
you heard us in the past you hear us in the present,
when the moon is full or whether in it’s crescent
and you will have time in the future, for evermore.
1234, 1234….
U is for Ukulele with 2 U’s, Uncle Uriah,
Ulysses and those Unseen U🦄’s...
As time marched on past Seb and Pum’s window into view came a much larger than normal U who looked up at Seb and Pum and spoke to them......in an UnUsUal but kindly way…...
“U will never gUess what”, U said in a very Uuuu voice to PUm and Seb
“Did this Marching Band awaken yoU from yoUr bed
I’m the UbiquitoUs U that is what I am, that is what is said
U can see me everywhere, I’m omnipresent do you know Seb do yUo know PUm
I think this is known by every dad and every mUm
YoU can see me when yoU get hUnger pains in yoUr tUm
I am of coUrse in the spelling of yoUr name PUm
I’m very clever yoU know not hUm drUm
YoU saw me mUch earlier in Eeee bye gUm
And there I am in the middle of sUn”
As U spoke there appeared from nowhere lots and lots of U’s, all different in various colours and all humming a wonderful tune and then Ubiquitous U began to sing the most lilting song….
I am U a lovely U yoU seeeeee
I know back to front the ABC to Zzzz
If U see a Q you’ll then oft see meee
To forget this rule is on the contraryyyy
We love the Q and the Q loves Uuuuuuu
If this was not the case we’d be in a stew
So oh thank you Qqqqqq
from the heart of Ubiquitous Uuuuu
We live in words of many shapes and sizessss
In words such as such, disguises and surmises
We are proud of our role our role as a vowel
We will remain in the language, never throw in the towel
There’s a U in ChUrch where the choirs do sing
yUo can have a Prince, a Princess and a King
But without a U you cannot have a Queen
and Elizabeth II is the best Queen ever seen
and U’s are so Useful you need them for quinine
So onwards for ever looking for words all anew
Words that are waiting to include ubiquitous U
U and all the other U’s slowly but very proUdly marched on Up and over the hill, Uing as they went....
Oh what a lovely vowel we are
Far the best, the best by far
If it wasn’t for a U, you wouldn’t have a Queen
Oh my oh my a Queen never seen...
And U...
Is even in little Boy Blue
It is in huge, hug, hue and Hugh,
U is in tUtorial and will for be
for Time immemorial
U is also the middle of sUm
U U U Ad infinitUm.......
The Time Sergeant then spoke out saying,
“I heard what U said I really did hear
He said Time immemorial, of that there is no fear
So Time like U is here to stay
U said it in a most Urbane way”
“My marches are rhythmic, so smart don’t you know
They will be remembered forever, like Marilyn Monroe
So onwards my marches onwards we go
Onwards forever, is the Status Quo”
“Days they do come and days they disappear
We march onwards forever for endless light-year
Onwards we march for there is no last frontier
Of that we are certain lets be crystal clear”
“Whether it's dark outside or by the light of a chandelier
We’ll march on the ground, overseas with the flight engineer
Time is all day and all there’s night time as well,
It rings on the ear like the Canterbury Bell”
“So come all you girls and boys of good cheer
Come all you boys and girls now draw near
To listen awhile to the verse of E Lear
About his poems, limericks so good on the ear”
This is all nonsense so stop it I must
Time being endless it allows me to readjust
Time is so precious, there is no breach of trust
It passes through time zones like the Big Bang dust”
“To take time steadily forward is certainly no crime
We do it forever we do it full-time
Beyond the beyond we have traversed in time
many places we passed were quite sublime”
“My marches are so honest so true so bold
They are special, unique more valuable gold
So now my soldiers of destiny and hope
Let's go on forever, with time elope
At that the Time Sergeant marched off with his never ending time bandsmen marchers, numbers, alphabet letters spinning in and around like a pack of cards in the wind and of course the constant here and there of the nursery rhyme characters. Almost at once a rather dishevelled man wearing a tatty straw hat came into View. “Who is it Seb, I think I recognise him” Pum asked, but before Seb could proffer his answer the man began talking to them….
V begins Violin 🎻 Viola and Vivaldi,
Vibrations, Virtuoso and Van Gogh 👨🎨….
“Hello, I’m Vincent, Vincent Van Gogh
I’m an artist, a painter, didn’t you know,
I painted my pictures quite some time ago,
I’m Vincent, Vincent, Vincent Van Gogh”
“I’m Vincent, Vincent, Vincent Van Gogh
If you would sirs, I implored them, to go to my art show
I painted with colours so vibrant so bright
But they didn’t sell and I didn’t sleep well at night”
“Please buy a painting to help me get by
If I don’t sell one soon I would probably cry
I knew they were different from other artists I know
But you see I just painted, I went with the flow”
“No one would buy or hang them back then
Now they sell for millions of £’s, baht and Yen
I painted them so lovingly from my heart
To buy a little food and maybe a nice tart”
“How can my work have been so understated
was so underrated, even desecrated
But now I suppose I am quite elated
as today prices are quite quite inflated”
“Who now receives the funds so raised
Not the amounts that I once envisaged
And often my work it remains behind closed doors
Or scorned at or damaged by anti-art saboteurs”
“Thank you for listening Seb dear Pum
I will make my way now for whatever might come
All along the painters highway, bye way of life
Where I may again take up my palette knife”
“Goodbye and god bless you Seb & Pum
My time spent with you has now over run
So onwards forever with time I will travel
as I go forwards my life just may pleasantly unravel”
Then goodbye said Vincent V to Seb and Pum, ever so sadly walking off into a sunflower distance which seemed to both Seb and Pum to cheer him up as out of nowhere they could see that he had sat down on a stool with a canvas on an easel and a multiplicity of brushes and paints by his side.
Pum said to Seb that she hoped Vincent began to sell some of his paintings and was able to take good care of himself and Seb agreed saying that his art work was very interesting and so full of vibrant colours, just like his artist mum’s paintings….
Looking back from Vincent V G a Time Sergeant came into view again and looking up at Seb and Pum informed them..
W is for We, Wednesday, Week, Weak,
Wee Willy Winky and Wimbledon….
“We have no time to stop and stare
There is so much happening, everywhere”
Said the Time Sargent to Pum and Seb,
“No time for sleeping in your comfy bed”
Because he uttered so very quietly
“Here comes Wee Willie Winky,
Can you see him quietly running around
his nightgown dragging along the ground”
All the alphabet warmly cheered
As Wee Willie Winky then appeared
Carrying a lighted candle from behind a W
Looking up and whispering “hello you two,
I’m Wee Willie Winky, I run around the town
around the May Pole and streets up and down”
“Sometimes I knock on doors other times I don’t
I hope I might get invited in but they just won’t,
it’s because it’s dark out side when I knock,
and often it’s past midnight o’clock”
“So running around the town, up and down every street
It gets quite difficult at times and quite tires my feet.”
“My candle flickers but always burns so bright,
it never burn away and lights up the darkest night”
“My gown keeps me warm but the frost tingles my nose
and in the winter snow I suffer from chilblain toes”
“Sometimes I wish I had shoes and warmer clothes,
may be I will one day, well one never knows”
“Why do I run around town it’s so very often said,
welI, l do it faithfully informing children it’s time for bed”.
“I tell them it’s now past midnight o’clock, that’s why,
and I must carry on knocking so to you may I say goodbye”.
And at that Wee Willie Winky bade farewell and ran on up the road knocking on as many doors as he could until quite out of sight.
“Well” said the Time Sergeant in a very supportive way
“We numbers of Time no how difficult it can be I say,
because we march past ever window every door,
yesterday, today, tomorrow and on forever more”.
“Always telling everyone the absolute correct time
marching so steadfastly and always in perfect line”
They marched away fortunately as a trickle of water began to flow towards Seb and Pums house, Pum said she hoped the doors were locked securely and watertight. Seb told Pum not to worry as he had devised a watertight locking device which would keep the water out....for sure.
As the water meandered along towards and beyond them there was a gurgling sound which slowly became a sort of swishing, swashing, swushing sound which morphed into a soft swaying voice sort of sprinklingly voice saying....
“Water water where do we come from and where do we go
No-one truly fully understands this or can truly let you know
Our colours change from emerald green to as black as a crow
Sometimes so calm and others like swirling pools of indigo”.
“You make many drinks from us the nicest is English breakfast tea
yet not forgetting so many countries drink that tasty aroma coffee.
Water is so very useful, it helps so many trees, plants to grow
It allows visitors to foreign shores happily come and go”.
“If no water then no life, no one ould ever have been born,
earth would be barren, dried up to a crust and look so forlorn.
Without water there would be no pure white winter snow
no Santa or that Christmas winter glow however.
“Be careful though when entering water, currents can be so strong,
the unsuspecting swimmer might just read the water wrong.
So be careful when taking a cooling dip in the river, lake or sea
we so want you to enjoy water I say that so very honestly”.
“We must meander off to valleys, fields and canyons deep,
beautiful waterfalls we create cascading down mountains steep”
And so Seb, Pum we wish you a splashing good day,
goodbye and remember to never waste or throw a drop away”
Then as if by magic the water flowed off into the fields either side of the long and winding road greening the grass, watering the flowers, shrubs and trees before gently flowing away leaving everywhere dry and refreshed. Seb and Pum looked at each other in amazement, Seb said to Pum that the water had made a very important point about getting into water unprepared or where it was deep, cold and fast flowing, “yes” said Pum “I agree”.
X begins Xylophone, Xmas, Xenial & Xanado….
eXcuse me eXcuse me said a rather cross looking X to the Time Sergeant as it came walking past the marches of time and looking up X eXclaimed,
“I’m an X and I suppose I always look very cross,
I’m not you know, why this it seems I am at a loss”.
“X marks the spot” a voice was heard from within the ranks
“where treasure is hidden, worth more than all the money in all the banks”.
“Yes X marks the spot and one day I will get to Treasure Island,
to seek out my fellow X where it was buried by a motley pirate band”.
“X is used to let you know something is wrong and needs putting right,
Teachers use us when marking work at home often quite late at night”
“Yes X is a useful letter when filling out forms or a lottery ticket,
it is used during shop sales and when scoring at English cricket”
The X then awkwardly walked over to the Time Sergeant and asked him who the two people were looking at him in a curious way. The Time Sargent polity explained, because he is eXceedingly polite that it was Seb and Pum who had been eXercising their right to watch Time, beautifully and in synchronised fashion with the alphabet letters, if X didn’t mind him so saying, march past their bedroom window and may he say, added the Time Sargent without causing a problem or disturbance of any kind whatsoever and that they had thoroughly, up until now greatly enjoyed the eXperience, Mr X....
“EXcellent” said the X “and I am eXtremely pleased to hear that in fact I would have found it rather eXtraordinary if they hadn’t” X eXclaimed. At that X looked up and eXamined Seb and Pums eXpression then said “yes I can see they are eXtremely eXcited by the whole thing, eXceptionally so”.
“EXcuse me” said X to the Time Sargent as X came walking past the marches of time and looking up at Seb and Pum X eXclaimed,
“Pum can you please help to me as I have to sit neXt
to wobbly W on my left and yawning Y on my right,
If I don’t find them soon they might become quite veXed
And the last thing I want is to cause them a nasty fright”
“X always marks the spot you know, does X
I can be very complex and sometimes quite a perpleXed X
From Malcolm X to Tyrannosaurus ReX
Be it a veXed X or fleXi X, or a compleX X
Where ever, what ever neXt for Mr X”
“What shall I do where will I go,
Please help me Pum I want to know
Shall I turn left or go straight ahead
I feel so miXed up I might just go to bed”
“You see X’s here and X’s there
You see X’s, X’s every where
From Xanadu to Galaxy Square
X’s are quite eXtraordinaire”
“I am quite a compleX X Pum
Without W and Y it is no fun
To sit alone I will surely I’ll tire,
and sadly my life may just eXpire”
“But wait on yonder hill I spy W and Y
I must catch them up, I will really really try.
So off I must go, I must run must fly
thank you both I must eXit....bye bye”
Seb and Pum told the X that everything the Time Sergeant had said was more than true and that they had very much enjoyed watching him and all the march of time happenings.
“Well Seb, Pum” said X “thank you for your eXplantation but I must go now, I must eXit and head off to Treasure Island to find the X that marks the spot and the treasure below, I am so very eXcited and I will ask W and Y to travel with me”.
Then X was gone, at an eXtraordinary speed....
Almost immediately following X could be heard;
Y begins Yes, You and Yours, Yesterday, Yonder
Yorkshire, and not forgetting Yuletide ~ Yippee…
~🎄 ~ 🎄 ~ 🎄 ~ 🎄 ~
“Wait X wait, wait for me
Its Y here do you see
I too am very lonely
Wait, wait X wait for me”.
Then looking up at Pum and Seb Y asked if they new where X was going and if they could help him...
Seb and Pum told Y “He’s going to catch up with W as he feels lonely like you do Y and he thought you were with W looking for X”.
“My catching X should be plain sailing
I think X’s eyesight might be failing
But only by a tolerable degree
for it is not me with W X can see”
“You see I am a Y of reasonable distinction,
As my prowess is full of great expectation.
Because without a Y you could not say Yes
then people we be in a considerable mess”
“There would be no Yorkshire tea You know
no Yesterday, Yuletide or the word Yellow.
No Yourself, Yearlong, Yonder or Yearning,
or Youthful, Youngish, Yearbook or Yearling”.
“Y is a Yummylicious word You know
and all the Younkers will tell you so.
“Y must and will stay forever and a daY
Yippee, Yo, Yea, Yabadabadoo, hurraY”.....
“Yes you are a special letter, just like all the alphabet letters, Y” said both Seb and Pum, “you look after X on the one side and Z on the other and without You they would indeed be very sorry”.
“Yes” said Y, “I am as special as the other Alphabet letters
and by the way they do not think they are my betters”.
“They are all my best friends and I am theirs
Oh what a very Yummilicious state of affairs”
“I am ok now, Yes, Yes I am
I don’t need a car, a bus or a tram,
You’ve made me feel better that’s for sure,
Y will never worry again, never no more”.
“GoodbYe” said Y as it left the scene
The happiest Y You have ever seen..
“I will catch X and W just wait and see
And soon it will be the happy three”.
Y then set off at some speed and just made it to the far off hill before W & X disappeared into the distance.
Almost as soon as Y had gone Pum & Seb could see hundreds and yes hundreds of Soldiers marching up and then down the distant hill. At the bottom of the hill there was a rather splendidly attired soldier although older than the other foot soldiers who suddenly turned round and came galloping over on his white horse to the window. Looking up at Seb and Pum he said in a sort of elegantly, not unfriendly voice that he was so grateful there was and always would be a Y because he went on to say…...
“I am the Grand Old Duke of York you know I have 10,000 Knighted men,
I regularly march them up and down the hill over and over again
Some people think it unnecessary and rather unkind, unfair,
but my soldiers absolutely love it, marching splendidly without a care”
“It keeps them all fit and it keeps them all healthy
I look after them all well because I am very wealthy
So do be kind and don’t call me names
They are as fit as those who attend the Olympic Games”
“Come on my men my soldiers left and right
Prepare your armour and helmets bright
For now is the time under the pale moonlight
To show that you are no carpet knight”
“Now our task is plain for everyone to see
That we march up and down by imperial decree
And whilst we do, to a most fulfilling degree
March, march, with such bold intensity”
“So onwards, upwards, downwards we all must go
Down the hill speedily and up it just a tad slow
So from all my men, my military personnel
We wish you both a very sincere fond farewell”.
And at that The Grand Old Duke of York galloped back to his men who were already marching up and over the far off hill, smiling happily whilst marching in perfect time, synchronisation....1234, 1234….
Past every window and every door
1234….
Onwards and upwards forevermore
1234....
“Wow” said Pum “that marching by those smartly dressed soldiers was fantastic Seb, don’t you think”. But before Seb could answer the Time Sargeant who had suddenly come back into view called up to Pum saying,
“Well yes they weren’t bad but my marches are just as good,
don't you think so Pum, oh I wish you would”.
For my marches of time are so good and so bold
For forever in Time they have unquestionably patrolled”
“So let us not forget, or ever upset them
nor to the sidelines, margins you condemn.
They are bold and steadfast, they keep a fine line
They too march onwards forever, forever in time”
“So please I request that you listen to me impartially
my marchers never ever dilly, dilly or dally.
My manner to all is never meant to be cavalierly
So I thank you for listening I thank you sincerely”
He turned and walked smartly away but not before Pum and Seb had called out to him to come back, which he did in a sort of happy to do sort of way but without him wanting you to know that it was that sort of way.
Seb and Pum then in unison said to the Time Sergeant
“Our dear Sergeant our Time Sergeant at arms
we would never forsake nor your men would we alarm,
with words of disappointment or of disapproval
You and your marches are so gloriously wonderful”.
“So if you please could you tell all your good bandsmen
That we trust them implicitly to tell time, time and again
We think they are most tuneful, brave and so robust
Marching forever onwards on cosmic Time travel dust”
“So do not be sad and don’t you worry for a second
your bandsmen are the best we have always reckoned.
They march contentedly, so professionally in line,
you and they will be our best friend forever, for all time”.
“Thank” you said the Time Sergeant “my thanks in great store
my marches and I will now step ever so smartly to the fore.
You will never hear us question your loyalty again
nor will we ever end, our in time marching campaign”.
At that the Time Sergeant marched off with his men on into time
and with many following from a great distance in perfect line...
Z is for 💤ing, Zappy, Zany, Zara,
Zealous, Zealful and the Zodiac….
What could be seen next was quite wonderful as into view came a man dressed all in black from his striking sombrero to his silver spurred boots and riding on a magnificent jet black horse.
“Its Zorro” said Seb as Zorro rode over to their window.
“Yes I am Zorro,
I helped people yesterday, today and I will tomorrow
I am more famous even than Mt Kilimanjaro.
I can make Zorro Zeds with my trusty shiny sword,
and it’s right over wrong, all villains will be floored”
“You see in me
the very epitome
of man's striving for right over wrong
sincerely my intent is so very strong
And when I see it around
I simply mount my horse and bound
to wherever dastardly men can be found
and I knock them out cold to the ground”.
“My forces are strong they are right they are true
and trouble and never take kindly to
If I see trouble my efforts I redouble
bursting al the bad men’s bubble
then I tie them all up tightly in a huddle”.
“Zorro helps those who are downtrodden,
for those who the law has sadly forgotten.
I work things out, I have master plan,
and I never ever quit until I catch my man”.
At this Zorro reared up on his horse said a friendly goodbye to Pum and Seb saying,
“Adios Amigos adios farewell,
if you ever need help….
come to Zorro and tell”
Then slowly the Time Sergeant and all his marching bandsmen, numbers, alphabet letters and nursery rhyme characters gradually vanished into the mists of time. Pum and Seb could then hear what sounded like, yes it was snoring sounds.
Then out of the mist of time came lots of Z’s.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZnoringly Zeding their way towards Pum and Seb.
There were Z’s in every direction and with their eyes closed, just humming a sort of snoring sound which went zsort, sorry, sort of like this:
Zzzipple, zzzopple, zzzuple zzzeee
We are are Z’s a Zzzedding – we are tired you zeee
Our bedtimzzz hazzz come, come againzzz
oh how we whezzz
Oh what calmityzzz
So zedding forever, forever in timezzz zonezzzz
To zzzlumber under the bedclothezzz
Zzznoring, zzznoring all night long and daytime if you pleasezzz
We are the Zzzeders, nothing matterzzz, we’re as tired as
Koalazzz all snuggly sat in their Eucalyptuszzz Treezzz”
The Z’s then turned around, yawningly walked back into the mists of time saying:
It wazzz ever zoo nizzzce to zzzee you Zzzeb and Pumzzze
We are off to our bedzzz now to have a deep zzzleeeeeepzz
And into the mists they disappeared until their Zzznoring
could no longer be heard.
In the distance could be heard the March of Time hauntingly singing a Timelessness Song ......
Timelessness......
“There’s sixty seconds in a minute and sixty minutes in an hour,
and that is a long long time to get caught up in a rain shower.
There are twenty four hours in a long day this we all should know,
which is a long time to be caught out in the freezing cold snow.
Monday through to Sunday makes, seven whole days in a week,
And Thursday being the day that we call the middle of the week
After Monday, Tuesday follows then at midnight Wednesday begins,
following Thursday is Friday, Saturday, on Sunday a church choir sings.
There are at least four weeks in a month and twelve months in a year,
this is the time it takes to go round the sun by our wonderful celestial sphere.
So spend your time earnestly, when you awake do the very best that you can,
for time moves relentlessly onwards, “Tempus fugit” time waits for no w/man....
At this moment Pum whispered.....
“Oh look the mists of time are coming closer and into our bedroom”.
Within a few moments their bedroom was full of the mists of time and in the distance Pum could faintly hear the Time Sergeant saying:
“Pum, Seb….
you’ll be asleep in a hurry
but please don’t you worry
Although now you are asleep
Time won’t miss a beat
And in the morning you will scurry
down stairs in a hurry
To ask what happened while asleep
last night out in the street”
Pum could be heard saying,
“where are you Seb, Seb, can you hear me, can you hear, can you, can, caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzz”.
“Come on Pum wake up sleepy head, you were calling out in your sleep last night”. “But hey” said Seb to Pum “have I got a dream I had last night to tell you all about Pum”.
“Seb I will listen because I have all the TIME in the world”, said Pum with a little hint of a smile.
“All the TIME in the world” said Seb to Pum, they both looked at each other, smiling, sort of knowingly.
“Come on” said Seb, “there’s no time to waste, I’m hungry”.
“Yes it’s time to eat then” said Pum as they both ran off laughing.
“No Time like the present” laughed Seb.
“Come on Seb, for the last Time, I’m hungry” called out Pum.
“So am I” said Seb, “It’s breakfast time”....
And then …. they we’re r gone …. beautifully lost in Timed
~ ~ ~
It’s Never Ever ~ The End
For every new day is our new beginning in Time
© 2007
R M Secret
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~