Over the mountains and under the sky,
With the sun at his back and the wind in his eye,
They call him the magic lantern man,
And wherever he goes,
Everyone knows
There’ll soon be a show.

Lamps and candles,
Songs and tales,
An old oil can,
Some dreams for sale –
Magic Lantern Man.

His pictures glow upon thin air
And colour the lantern’s smoky glare.
The songs he sings and the tales he spins
Bind the children tight
In the flickering light
All through the night.

Lamps and candles,
Songs and tales,
An old oil can,
Some dreams for sale –
Magic Lantern Man.

Next morning the magic lantern man
Packs up his dreams and his old oil can.
He fades back into the sun and the sky,
But where he goes
Nobody knows
Till the next lantern show.

Lamps and candles,
Songs and tales,
An old oil can,
Some dreams for sale –
Magic Lantern Man.

 

*

Graham Seal writes poems, songs and books published, recorded, performed and, sometimes, awarded in Australia, UK and USA. His poetry for children has been published in The Dirigible Balloon and online. He enjoys writing rhyming poems that tell a story, as well as those full of whimsy and nonsense.