THE child Margaret begins to write numbers on a Saturday morning, the first numbers formed under her wishing child fingers. All the numbers come well-born, shaped in figures assertive for a frieze in a child's room. Both 1 and 7 are straightforward, military, filled with lunge and attack, erect in shoulder-straps. The 6 and 9 salute as dancing sisters, elder and younger, and 2 is a trapeze actor swinging to handclaps. All the numbers are well-born, only 3 has a hump on its back and 8 is knock-kneed. The child Margaret kisses all once and gives two kisses to 3 and 8. (Each number is a bran-new rag doll ... O in the wishing fingers ... millions of rag dolls, millions and millions of new rag dolls!!) | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONNET: TO SLEEP by JOHN KEATS WHAT THE ENGINE SAYS by ALEXANDER ANDERSON LINES WRITTEN TO A TRANSLATOR OF GREEK POETRY by MARGARET STEELE ANDERSON THE NIGHTINGALE THAT WAS DROWNED by PHILIP AYRES A POEM FOR THE SEFIROT AS WHEEL OF LIGHT by NAFTALI BACHARACH THE ALBION QUEENS, ACT 1: THE WONDER by JOHN BANKS (17TH CENTURY-) SOME ACCOUNT OF A NEW PLAY by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM |