Poetry Month

I just found out that April is poetry month.  It's the 29th and I'm just hearing about this.  Dang.  If I had known, I would have been boring entertaining all my friends with a daily poem recitation.  But, alas, I have only two days left to comment on my beloved poetry.  
I'll begin with a poem from my new favorite book of poems:  Susie Bitner Was Afraid of the Drain by Barbara Vance

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

The ultimate chocolate chip cookies

Have a center that's gooey and warm;

They are always fresh out of the oven,

With a perfectly circular form.

The ultimate chocolate chip cookies

Have just as much chocolate as dough;

They're cooked to a warm golden brown;

A secret that only moms know.

The ultimate chocolate chip cookies

Go best with some milk on the side

And always fit well in your pocket

(For the extras you're trying to hide).

And though they say sharing is nice-

And I am inclined to agree-

I must say, I like them the best

When it's only the cookies and me.

It just doesn't get much better than poems about cookies.  Maybe a poem about cake or donuts?  I like this poem, aside from the obvious reason, because I can relate so easily to the last two lines.  I share food begrudgingly.  I give a lot of treats to my friends and on the surface that seems to be a very generous act.  But I know my true motive for sharing cookies and cakes - and it's a selfish one:  I'm saving myself from potential obesity.

Here's another one from the same book.  My first graders really liked this one.  They love poems with surprise endings.

The Terrible Thing About Cindy

The terrible thing about Cindy

Is she packs a powerful punch.

I learned this yesterday at school

When I tried to take her lunch.

I had only meant to tease her,

To make her squeal and twist.

The last thing I expected 

Was her calculated fist.

She socked me in the stomach-

She's more than slightly deft-

And sent me stumbling to my knees,

As she snatched her lunch and left.

After that I was quite sorry

I had tussled with a pro-

I wish my friends had told me 

That she practiced tae kwon do.

 

I remember composing a little poem once while at Sonic waiting for my order to be delivered.

Ode to Sonic

Your drinks - so refreshing,

Your tots - so delicious.

You faithfully fulfill

all my fast food wishes.

Impressive, is it not?  

See?  There's a poem out there for every occasion.

I thought of this poem last night when reading an e-mail from my sister.  She was relating a story about her new 5-year old daughter.  I haven't met the precious angel yet, but I kind of get the impression that this poem would describe her.

There Was a Little Girl

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

  

 There was a little girl

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead.

When she was good

She was very good, indeed.

But when she was bad

She was horrid.

While poetry is nice to read, it's best when it's recited.  My students put on a poetry slam every year and it's always a hit with the parents. You can find more spoken word videos on YouTube than you would ever have time to listen to.  So much of it is self-indulgent and foul, but there are some jewels to be discovered.  Here's one I saw recently of Psalm 73.

This Psalm, about how easy it is to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others instead of trusting God, was written thousands of years ago.  Proof that there is nothing new under the sun.

Enjoy the last two days of poetry month!