Full Title: A Collection of Poetry About the Art of Babysitting: Family Time First, All Very Special
A very simple and fun job that so many teenagers experience. Usually, it starts with them babysitting their younger siblings and then it moves on to a first job. In this collection we explore the joy that one teenager gets out of babysitting. She begins with the poem Family Time First where we see her come home from school and tackle some focused time playing with her little brother. It is clear in the interaction that they love each other dearly and the time they spend together is special. She then leaves the house for her babysitting job and in All Very Special she works with a with an adorable little girl who doesn’t speak much. She interacts with the babysitter the way one would think a child would with an older sibling but what is clear is that this babysitter is so connected to the child that she understands her even though she doesn’t have the words to communicate to her. The little girl excels with her sense of touch and the love between the two of them is everlasting. A collection of poetry about an unsung hero, the babysitter that loves making children happy no matter if they are the active love of a younger sibling or the quiet spirit of another child- the care is clear. *Performer may be any gender.
Art of Babysitting
Backpack is heavy as hell from all the homework
In my English class
Read
Write
Edit
Repeat
Make it home just in time to give mom a hug
Dad a kiss on the forehead as he reads the news on his phone
Play a quick game of tag with my little brother
Which really means he yells “Tag” then I chase him around the house
It’s a blast
He hides in the same place every time
While I unpack my lunch from school
Wash the dishes
Repack something to eat for dinner
Every few minutes I hell “Oh, no. Where is Charlie?”
I quietly giggle
Dad laughs and winks at me “brilliant”
And I continue to pack
Chips, water, frozen dinner do I want chicken enchiladas or chicken fried rice?
The rice for sure
“I’m gonna find you Charlie”
I wait for his cute little giggle
As I zip up my lunchbox, put it back in my
Already overloaded backpack and drop it by the steps
Dad and I lock eyes,
He nods like a general sending his troupes to war
I nod back like a good solider
And then…