Inspired by Sadje’s #WhatDoYouSee 302 photo prompt, I wrote my poem Jumping in a Puddle—a celebration of childhood wonder and the joyous rebellion of getting wet simply because you can.
I also sketched my own interpretation of the prompt photo (image credit; Nathan Dumlao) and created a song to go with it: a waltz made for dancing in puddles, which you can hear at the end of the poem.
Jumping in a Puddle
Jumping in a puddle
is what we all should do:
Make a splash,
get wet right through,
and laugh—
(it’s more fun than a bath).
Disturb the clouds that float therein,
giggle loudly with a grin.
Be as a child,
without a care.
Wet your feet,
toss your hair.
Jump up,
and down,
make a noise!
Be just as you were—
when you were little
girls and boys.
The wildest joys
are in simple things:
a rain puddle,
and a bird that sings…
A kid doesn’t think twice
about having fun.
They play in mud,
hop, skip,
and run.
Splash about
as much as you can—
before you become
a woman,
or man.
When you will say,
“I can’t do that!—
I’m far too old,
and far too fat.”
“What will people think
if I do that?
They’ll think I’m mad—
as a hatter’s hat!
Or had too much to drink.”
But—
to see a puddle
and not jump in—
is well and truly
a childlike sin!
—Lesley Scoble, August 2025
Music Audio
Enjoy the song of the poem—and waltz in a puddle!
It’s not unheard of for me to dance in a puddle.
THANK YOU
Thank you, Sadje, for providing me with your inspirational prompts.
And thank you, the reader, for your time reading and listening to my poem.
To find out more about Sadje’s #Whatdoyousee prompts, follow the link below.
LesleyScoble.com 
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