Raymond Briggs

When I was teaching primary school, Raymond Briggs was one of my most valued resources.  His illustrated stories: The Snowman, Father Christmas and Fungus the Bogeyman were always there, close to hand.

Briggs is now 85 and has just published a book with several poems on aging.  I particularly like this one.

FUTURE GHOSTS

Looking round this house,

what will they say,

the future ghosts?

There must have been

some barmy old bloke here,

long-haired, artsy-fartsy type,

did pictures for kiddy books

or some such tripe.

You should have seen the stuff

he stuck up in that attic!

Snowman this and snowman that,

tons and tons of tat.

Three skips it took,

and a whopping bonfire out the back.

Thank God it’s gone,

and he’s gone, too.

He must have been a nutter

through and through.

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