We were in the schoolyard
About to start our day
When a stranger walked straight through our gate
And took our sounds away

The laughing of the children
The calling of a name
Lots of different noises
From lots of different games

The cheer of a goal
The sound of a cry
Someone chanting
“The captain said ie ie”

The whisper of secrets
The skipping ropes twack
Someone getting shouted at
By mean old mister Mack

The polite chats
The swishing of cards
The sound of someone
Hitting the ground, hard.

The sound of a song being sung
And shoes hitting the ground
The sound of children giggling
Oh how I loved those sounds

A stranger came this morning
Dressed all in black and grey
He took all of our sounds
And now he is our prey

This poem was inspired by the sound collected by Roger McGough