9 Year old pens her ‘Rum tum Tugger’ poem.

A young nine-year-old girl from Muff in Co. Donegal has penned  her own version of T.S. Eliot’s Rum Tum Tugger poem. A lover of cats and a very talented young poet, Susie Peoples is currently part of a ‘Creative Writing and Imagination fun’ Summer Camp with The WRITE STUFF Kids Club in her home village.
As her facilitator at camp, I had talked to her just yesterday about workshops I did at Interact Festival in Derry last week, focusing on Eliot’s poetry about cats. I showed Susie The Rum Tum Tugger poem yesterday and told her she might enjoy it.
So of course Susie did what she does best – she penned her own version relating to her own cat, Tiddles.
And so The Rum Tum Tiddles was created. T.S. Eliot would certainly be impressed I don’t doubt:

The Rum Tum Tiddles (by Susie Peoples, aged 9)
The Rum Tum Tiddles is a Curious Cat,
If you put him on a carpet, he’d rather have a mat.
If you offer him fish, he’d rather have meat,
If you offer him meat, he’d rather have a treat.

The Rum Tum Tiddles is an awful pest,
When you open your drawer, he’s snuggled in your vest.
He’ll lie on your homework, and make a terrible mess,
And where he hides your pencil, you’ll never guess.

The Rum Tum Tiddles is a savage beast,
On little birds, he likes to feast.
He brings their bodies, to your door,
And scatters their feathers, all over the floor.

The Rum Tum Tiddles, could make you mad,
Because sometimes he, can be very bad.
But he is a good cat, after all,
When we’re together, we have a ball.

I’m sure all will agree that this is very much a modern day Eliot-inspired piece. Such amazing talent in a very young lady. I think I’ll be calling her Susie Eliot from hereon.

GMcC