Castles in the Air



Happy are those children that have railways in the hall,
Painting in the kitchen and stories when they’re small.
Friends to come and visit them - ribbons for their hair,
To so many lonely children is a ‘Castles in the Air.’

Mothers doing washing up - neighbours picking flowers,
Brothers under motorcars for hours upon hours.
Coming home from school each day knowing someone’s there,
To so many orphaned children is a ‘Castles in the Air.’

Can you think how it would be if all you could recall,
Were angry words and tempers, or no-one there at all?
Birthdays, picnics, Christmases - families that care,
To so many battered children is a ‘Castles in the Air.’

Sometimes kids are fortunate ‘cos people can be found
To foster them and care for them, and always be around.
All these families ever ask is just a chance to share
With all these precious children their ‘Castles in the Air.’

They give them homes and firesides - railways in the hall,
Painting in the kitchen and stories when they’re small.
They let their friends come visiting - buy ribbons for their hair,
But most of all they help them find their ‘Castles in the Air.’

About this poem

Castles in the Air are children's dreams. Children who are placed in foster care need dreams - dreams to share with their new families that give them hope for their futures. Castles in the Air allows children to realise these dreams.

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Written on October 10, 1999

Submitted by susannaelliott on March 06, 2024

1:07 min read
293

Quick analysis:

Scheme aAbb ccbb aabb ddbb aAbb
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,161
Words 224
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Susanna Elliott-Newth

Susanna is a teacher, living near the coastal fringes of the Illawarra Coastline in NSW, Australia. Her environment is her stimulus for her writing. She has published four books of short stories, as well as her own memoir book, and writes educational resources for teachers. more…

All Susanna Elliott-Newth poems | Susanna Elliott-Newth Books

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Discuss the poem Castles in the Air with the community...

11 Comments
  • israel_u
    'Castles in the Air.' --Refrain.
    LikeReply1 month ago
  • Philipo
    True. Have two that way living in my apartment. I think they all need home. It's far better there. Congrats.
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • Chana
    I'm touched by this one. Thank u for caring
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • annem.33962
    An absolutely delightful poem, so true, thanks for expressing it
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • Symmetry60
    Congratulations, Susanna. Job well done. :-)
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • susan.brumel
    Important message and beautifully expressed. Thank you and congratulations!
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • npirandy
    Congrats Susanna! You had my vote this month.
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • paulw.71370
    There is certainly no shortage of needy and underprivileged children in the world, in part, because of a shortage of willing and qualified foster caregivers. Your poem skillfully presents the reader with a poignent reminder of this uncomfortable reality as well as an impliciit call to action to remedy a social injustice that devastates such a large proportion of society's most volnerable members. 
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • npirandy
    Well structured and sentimental.
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • BetsyStephens
    Beautifully constructed poem with a message that pulls at the heartstrings!
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • GideonFaust
    I love this. The sentiment, the honesty, the reality; it's all so sad but true.
    Very nicely worded. I like the rhyming pattern too. I've used it myself a few times.
    LikeReply4 months ago

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"Castles in the Air" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Jul 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/181942/castles-in-the-air>.

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