Limerick for a 10-Year-Old

There once was a babe from Tempe,
Whose parents called her Anna B.
‘Cause they just couldn’t tell
If the name Annabelle
Would fit their girl quite perfectly.

With that name, see, they took quite a risk,
For they knew other parents would tsk.
It would be hers for life,
Would it bring joy or strife?
Would dismissal as trite be quite brisk?

The name Annabelle seemed quite pretentious.
Old enough, would the kid be contentious?
Mad at having a tag
That a princess might drag
Round her life — such things can tend to fence us.

But it turned out to be just as well,
That they named this young girl Annabelle.
Her blonde hair it curled,
Her charm it unfurled.
And she had a sweet story to tell.

She climbed, pirouetted and swam.
Played piano — she was quite a ham.
Liked to take to the stage,
Gobbled books by the page.
And loved to hang out with her fam.

This girl, she was charmed from day one,
To dance and to sing and have fun.
She has friends out the door,
Draws cartoons and what’s more,
Her fashions are second to none.

On the tenth of July she turns ten.
All grown up for one minute, and then
She’ll watch little kid shows,
Ella, Spesh by her nose,
And make us remember her when.

She thinks about what she will be.
A decision that proves quite tricky.
All those choices to make,
Science, art, should she bake?
Or couch-surf and just learn to “be”.

Whatever she does, I can tell
This sweet girl — she’ll do it quite well.
With her wit and her wile,
She’ll do it in style.
And she’ll always be our Annabelle.