Poets in Their Youth

Aaron Van Kirk, who is 10 years old, wrote That Funny Old Man in Bed. Here it goes:

There was an old man that once said

"I simply cannot get out of bed.

Mice are 'round my toes."

He was scared, I suppose.

That funny old man in bed.

I like this poem. It could have been written about me, and the battle I lose every fall with all the mice who decide to move in for the winter.

Aaron also wrote There Once was a Shepherd, as follows:

There once was a shepherd who minded his sheep

And a shepherdess whom he would always keep.

They lived in the hills

In a cabin with two wheat mills.

One day their sheep got lost. They looked all around.

But the sheep were nowhere to be found.

They looked high and low

But where the sheep were, they did not know.

They came upon a cave and went inside.

It was obvious that in this cave someone must abide

And then, out came a man

Holding in his hand a tea can

And said, "Shepherd and Shepherdess, come in with me

And have some fine tea."

But when they went in, they saw their sheep.

"I am sorry," said the man. I thought they were mine to keep.

But, I hope that you will forgive me

After you have some fine tea."

Emma Culhane wrote a couple of poems that I thought were terrific. Here's an acrostic, or puzzle poem, entitled Family. See if you can work out the puzzle:

For most people

A family

Means loving one another

It is hard to

Love at all times.

Yet, we need to walk in love,

Emma also wrote,Casey's Candy Store, a jingle:

Get your Chocolates and Tootsie Rolls! At Casey's Candy Store

Get Suckers and Push Pops! At Casey's Candy Store

Bring in your pennies! It's cheap to buy!

Fill up your candy bags at Casey's Candy Store!,

Jennifer Van Kirk let me look at The Ferris Wheel, which reminded me of a happy time with my daughter, once upon a time when she was little:

Up, up, up I go

Higher than I've ever been

I can see the mountain tops.

Way, way down below

A more beautiful view, I've never seen.

I think I hope it never stops.

Finally, let me share Rio Culhane's An Autumn Wind:

The gentle wind whistles as it stirs the grass.

Red and orange leaves rustle as they fall from their branches.

The brown and yellow ones under my feet do the same.

Whoosh!

The pages of my book are turned, as if by an invisible hand,

going faster and faster!

The wind slows, whistling softly once again.

Many, many thanks to Aaron, Emma, Jennifer, and Rio for sharing their wonderful poems. Please keep writing!