Living

Grown-Up Talk

by Katherine Mansfield 1888–1923

From Poems (1923): Child Verses, 1907

Living

Half-Past-Six and I were talking
In a very grown-up way;
We had got so tired with running
That we did not want to play.

“How do babies come, I wonder,”
He said, looking at the sky,
“Does God mix the things together
An’ just make it--like a pie?”

I was really not quite certain,
But it sounded very nice;
It was all that we could think of,
Besides a book said ‘sugar and spice.’

Half-Past-Six said--he’s so clever--
Cleverer than me, I mean ...
“I suppose God makes the black ones
When the saucepan isn’t clean.”

MLA

Mansfield, Katherine. “Grown-Up Talk.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/mansfield_k/67/.

Chicago

Mansfield, Katherine. “Grown-Up Talk.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/mansfield_k/67/.

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