Tiny children have arrived next door
singing a lilting language of laughter

bouncing up and over our backyard fence,
their little brown heads trampolining

smiles and look at me hands waving
“Hello . . .” from their New World

to the old poet clutching his pencil
and pocket notebook of practiced

metaphors, stodgy-podgy,
not so for the little children

Jesus called unto him,
no sourpuss adults

arresting joyful noise
unto all the world, a child’s

make-believe land,
no grump-ups visaed.

* “All You Need Is Love,” a song by the Beatles, written by John Lennon, credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, released as a non-album single in July 1967. Main Performers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. George Martin produced the track.