Posts Tagged ‘children’s poetry’
August 23, 2020
Even a theory requires some facts, Captain
—Commander Spock

Fish gotta swim
Birds gotta fly
A penguin is a fish
There’s an ostrich in the sky
The sky is blue
Cuz it’s jealous of the sea
Doggie says bark
Cuz he’s looking for a tree
Zebra, bongo, tiger
Bumblebee and marlin
Grew some pretty stripes
To dazzle their darlin’
They say a clock’s wise
And time marches on
But as soon as time happens
It’s already gone
The cow never jumped
Higher than the moon
Cows don’t jump at all—
It was a kangaroo
Sometimes I wonder
What’s it all about?
But things are pretty simple
When you figure ‘em out
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:Children's Literature, children's poetry, Commander Spock, humorous poetry, Poetry, Star Trek
Posted in Poetry, Poetry for Kids | Leave a Comment »
September 26, 2019

So it is in life—from sun, to moon, to earth, to night, to day, to you getting up in the morning and going out to play a game of ball. All the rhythms of life are in some way related, one to another.
—Langston Hughes, The First Book of Rhythm
That basketball was like a basketball to me.
—Basketball Jones
I toss it in the air
And sometimes it goes in
I share it with my friends
And get it back again
Shooting hoops alone
I’m never in a hurry
It’s easy to be me
Pretending I’m Steph Curry
Playing all day long
Till every muscle hurts
Pounding on the asphalt
Till we’re covered up in dirt
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:Basketball Jones, Cheech and Chong, Children's Literature, children's poetry, Langston Hughes, Poetry, Steph Curry, The First Book of Rhythm
Posted in Langston Hughes, Poetry, Poetry for Kids, Sports | Leave a Comment »
March 3, 2019

I’m a good little boy
And I always obey
They said “finish all the dishes”
So I threw them away
MommyDaddy told me
I’ve been a bad boy
I’m a walking tornado
I’m designed to destroy
I’m a good little boy
I never tell a lie
You’re feet smell like farts
And that’s an ugly necktie
MommyDaddy told me
I’ve been a bad boy
I should really be nice
But I gotta annoy
I’m a good little boy
Not a greedy little hog
That’s why I ate my dessert
And gave my dinner to the dog
MommyDaddy told me
I’ve been a bad boy
They feed me bread & water
They took away my toys
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:Children's Literature, children's poetry, Poetry, rascals
Posted in Poetry, Poetry for Kids | Leave a Comment »
May 24, 2018

All is grand in Fancy Land
With towering mushrooms growing wild
There’s purple skies that mesmerize
And no one ever hurts a child
The unicorn band in Fancy Land
Plays heavenly tunes with a thundering beat
Wishes are granted and all is enchanted
And everyone has enough to eat
Hate is banned in Fancy Land
Everyone lives how they want to be
An endless sensation of happy creation
Where all the creatures are roaming free
You’re welcome to visit Fancy Land
As long as the magic lives inside you
With access forbid to all but kids
But grownups wanna go there too
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:Children's Literature, children's poetry, fantasy, Poetry
Posted in Poetry, Poetry for Kids | Leave a Comment »
March 31, 2018

Silly, eager, joyful
The ignorance of youth
I ain’t being gloomy
I’m just telling you the truth
Dreary dismal angry
With a double dose of mad
Beauty’s all around you
But you’re hiding in your sad
Silly losers dancing round
Pretending life is fair
Nothing really matters
And the universe don’t care
Grouchy grumpy nasty crusty
Cranky crabby sour
Angry peeved and surly
You’re complaining every hour
If you knew what I know
You’d lose than silly grin
Your life’ll end in misery
And you’re never gonna win
Wrap your arms around a rainbow
Grab a moonbeam — hug a friend
Love’s the only thing
That makes you richer when you spend
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:Aaron Jay, children's poetry, love, Poetry
Posted in Poetry, Poetry for Kids | Leave a Comment »
September 23, 2017

In disheveled disarray
Careless messy Sloppy Jay
Putters on his merry way
He leaves a trail of pickles and moss
And stones and sticks and taco sauce
A slapdash chain of dregs and dross
Cruel teachers and angry aunts
Sling a thousand bitter taunts
For Jay’s apparent nonchalance
Inside this squall of anarchy
Lurks a soul enchanted and free
Discard your spite and you could see
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:children's poetry, Poetry, Sloppy Jay
Posted in Poetry, Poetry for Kids | Leave a Comment »
August 12, 2017

Pull away from the screen
Put on your ramblin’ shoes
Get yourself outside
Or you’re gonna blow a fuse
Say hello to your body
Run and jump around
Try and race your shadow
To the other end of town
Take a walk in the forest
And hug the nearest tree
If you listen it will tell you
How to set your spirit free
The world is interactive
And the graphics are sublime
Open up your senses
And hear the cosmos chime
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:children's poetry, nature, Poetry
Posted in Poetry, Poetry for Kids | Leave a Comment »
June 23, 2017

A good athlete must have that harmony of movements or rhythm, which is called “form”….From pitch, to swing, to ball, a whole series of rhythms are set off, one rhythm, or one motion, starting another. So it is in life—from sun, to moon, to earth, to night, to day, to you getting up in the morning and going out to play a game of ball. All the rhythms of life are in some way related, one to another. You, your baseball, and the universe are brothers through rhythms.
—Langston Hughes, The First Book of Rhythm
Get in sync
And harmonize
Earth and moon
And sun and sky
All the rhythms
Are connected
Ain’t a body
Unaffected
Sun ashinin’
Earth aspinnin’
Live the motion
Breathe the rhythm
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:Children's Literature, children's poetry, Langston Hughes, Poetry, The First Book of Rhythm
Posted in Langston Hughes, Poetry, Poetry for Kids | Leave a Comment »
January 10, 2015

Don’t wake me up for anything
Don’t even say my name
This ain’t the time for pestering
My weak and weary frame
Don’t wake me up for anything
My bedroom is a shrine
Don’t disrupt my napping
My stupor is divine
Don’t wake me up for anything
Don’t halt my brief vacation
No good comes from bedeviling
My blesséd hibernation
Don’t wake me up for anything
I can’t afford to lose
Time set aside for slumbering
Don’t interrupt my snooze
Don’t wake me up for anything
My dreams are grandiose
If the world is ending
Just leave me comatose
by Richard W. Bray
Tags:Children's Literature, children's poetry, Humor, humorous poetry, Poetry, sleep
Posted in Poetry, Poetry for Kids | Leave a Comment »