Please

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by Ginger Burke

Taylor Marie
Was such a fun girl
With her glasses and flip flops
And little brown curls.

She often sang songs
Or played catch with her dad,
Biked down the sidewalk,
And helped brush her cat

She knew how to find
The bright yellow candy,
Her brotherโ€™s best toys,
Fun time with her family

Though Taylor was fun
And knew lots of things,
She couldnโ€™t quite master
That little word โ€œplease.”

Her mom tried so hard;
She begged and she pleaded,
But Taylor forgot
And never succeeded.

One day in the car
Her favorite song played:
โ€œTurn it up! Turn it up!โ€
โ€œTaylor, what do you say?โ€

โ€œPlease turn it up,โ€
Taylor said with a smile
By the time she asked nicely
Theyโ€™d gone a whole mile.

When she finally said โ€œplease,”
Her song was ending,
And Taylor was sad
For always forgetting.

โ€œDad, throw me the ball,
Over here really far!โ€
โ€œMom, can we go on bikes
And not ride in the car?โ€

Oh Taylor! Oh Taylor!
Dear, what do you say?
When you donโ€™t use your manners
Itโ€™s no fun to play.

โ€œCan I have that sucker?โ€
โ€œHelp me unwrap it.โ€
โ€œCan you find the blocks?
Theyโ€™re not in my basket.โ€

Every day was the same
Taylorโ€™s word list increased;
Just one word was missing,
That little word โ€œplease.”

At lunchtime one weekend
She decided to try
To practice new words
And watch the reply.

Her mom, dad, and brother
Were eating grilled cheese;
Taylor sat down and said,
โ€œCan I have one please?โ€

The whole room got quiet,
And Taylor just grinned;
โ€œOh that was easy
Iโ€™ll say it again!โ€

โ€œGive me five,โ€ cheered her mom,
โ€œIโ€™m so proud! Hooray!โ€
โ€œOkay,โ€ Taylor said,
โ€œBut what do you say?โ€

Please!


About the Writer

Gingerย is very thankful for the life God has given her. She has lived in several countries and has loved getting to know the peoples of the world. Her current adventure is in Illinois with her husband and four children. Check out her additional writings at acornplacebooks.com.


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Photo Credit: “little smile” by celynek, Flickr.com. (Modified by Veronica McDonald).

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