I have found myself uttering the phrase “I just need one more cup of tea” more often in recent years. Whether that has anything to do with the addition of two small, energetic humans joining our household is up for debate, but I would wager it does.

Our son’s frustration at my “one more cup of tea” was the inspiration behind this poem and he nodded along sagely when I first read it to him. His favourite part (and something which works well with poetry for children) is the repeated line at the end of each stanza, and how that alters slightly for the last line. He likes knowing what’s coming and the fact that he can remember and join in with that line.

Have a go at writing a poem where the last line of each stanza is the same. You could try changing the very last one slightly for effect. What about having a repeated line which changes tense from past to present to future as the poem goes on?