What Has Happened To Lulu? By Charles Causley

What Has Happened To Lulu?

What has happened to Lulu, mother?
What has happened to Lu?
There's nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll
And by its side a shoe.

Why is her window wide, mother,
The curtain flapping free,
And only a circle on the dusty shelf
Where her money-box used to be?

Why do you turn your head, mother,
And why do tear drops fall?
And why do you crumple that note on the fire
And say it is nothing at all?

I woke to voices late last night,
I heard an engine roar.
Why do you tell me the things I heard
Were a dream and nothing more?

I heard somebody cry, mother,
In anger or in pain,
But now I ask you why, mother,
You say it was a gust of rain.

Why do you wander about as though
You don't know what to do?
What has happened to Lulu, mother?
What has happened to Lu?

Charles Causley

This is a poem I discovered for the first time today during a poetry session in a seminar at university. I initially read the poem and liked it, we then began to discuss the potential for its use in the primary classroom. One activity we tried out was to try and write the note that is mentioned in the poem. 

 Here's mine and my colleague's attempt:

"Dear Mother

        I've decided to leave now. Alfred says there are nurses needed in his regiment. Now no-one can keep us appart. I can't sit out this war, I need to play my part. I have too much loyalty to the man I love. Father would understand and I hope one day you will too. I hope father returns home safely. 

    Your daughter."

This was thrown together very quickly in about 5 minutes and is written in as if the poem is based in wartime, this historical twist is only our interpretation - we had many other ideas. Our classmates came up with a number of different ideas - could be interesting to see what children think. 

Other activity ideas included using drama - maybe some role play or hot seating. 

Or it may just be a poem you enjoy and share with the class before they leave at the end of the day.