Nessie & Me, by Ciara Samson

Our story begins with the school teacher’s note
‘bring a pet day to school’, on it she wrote.

All of the children were super excited,
except for one boy, who was so not delighted.

Theo is funny, he’s smart and he’s clever

but Theo has no pets, not now, not ever.

See Theo’s allergic to all kinds of things,
nuts, dust and grass, wasp and bee stings.

So, pets are a problem, take Stanley the Mouse

after just one day, he got kicked out the house!

For his birthday he got a big box tied with ribbon,

and squealed when inside he saw he’d been given,

a beautiful fluffy, ginger Tom cat
who nuzzled his way on Theos’ warm lap.

But it didn’t take long till the sniffling, sneezing,

coughing, spluttering, worrying wheezing.

Took hold inside Theo causing him pain,

and he found himself petless once again.

Next he tried

fish,

python,

parrot and

toad

But each time the same- sneeze overload

See it’s not just fur that gives Theo the ills,

it’s talons, beaks, scales and gills.

On pet day, Theo shields behind a screen,

the school can’t take chances- his condition’s ‘EXTREME!

Not joining in makes him very upset,

and he dreams of the day when he has his own pet.

At home time Theo’s still feeling quite sad,
so he goes to Loch Ness – just him and his Dad.

Their favourite pastime is sitting and gazing

for signs of the monster whilst fishing and lazing.

Says Dad to Theo-”if you weren’t so sneezy,
and having a pet was ever so easy.
What would you choose, would it be something small?”
Says Theo – “NO WAY, I want biggest of all”

Just at that moment the water went swoosh,
it whirled round and round and with a great whoosh,

from out of the loch came a large looming sight,
Theo tried very hard not to show any fright.

“Is someone looking for huge, big and tall,

well feast your eyes guys, I’ve got them all”.

Theo stood trembling in front of the beast,

who seemed to be eyeing him up like a feast.

But Nessie smiled and wrinkled her nose
slowly licked Theo from head to toes.

Theo, who’s ticklish squirmed and wriggled,

as Nessie’s nose snuffled, he laughed and giggled.

Theo said “Nessie will you be my pet”?
Nessie nodded her long neck and roared “YOU BET,
I don’t have feathers, I don’t have hair,
there’s nothing about me that screams out beware.
Well apart from the fact that I’m twenty foot tall
and my neck touches treetops with no stretch at all.

But I’m sad and I’m lonely, swimming all day

I just want a friend that will join in and play.

So now when it’s time for the showing of pets,
the whole village is ready, on that you can bet.

The mayor and important folk all line the street
making sure that there’s room for Nessie’s big feet.

As she trots down the street on her way to the school
to where Theo waits feeling ever so cool.
He’s not got a pet like all of the rest,

he’s the boy who has Nessie, the best of the best.

by Ciara Samson