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This is my playground for poetry written for children with ideas and inspiration for writing your own poems. Come on in. Sit for a spell, have a cup of words to swirl around and make your own cup of poetry. I'm so glad you are here. I hope you'll find the Kingdom of Poetry a fun place to be.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Thank You

Thank you for coming to visit today.
It's always a good time
when you come to play.

Now that you're here
what shall we do?
Do you want to play
a game or two?

Perhaps we could work puzzles
or even write rhyme.
You're being here
assures a fun time.

     Today's poem needs work, but it is a holiday and I'm so busy trying to catch up on work. 
Happy Inauguration Day.  I'm eager to see what Richard Blanco wrote as an occasional poem for the celebration.
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  I can't celebrate MKL Day without thinking about T.J., a five year old autistic boy I met on this day in 2003.  I was wearing my MLK button on my collar and T.J. wanted me to know that he was a KING too, and a Jr. too. 
   T.J. has always been special to me because he gave me the inspiration for this poem.  It was first published in my collection Extra Hands, Extra Heart, poems for and about children with special needs. 

T.J. DISCOVERS BRACES

On Monday
at Burton GeoWorld Magnet School
a young autistic boy
names body parts.

He touches my neck and says, Neck.
Touches my necklace.  Necklace, he says.
Hair.
Eyes. 
Eye brow.
Chin.
Lips.

When his warm fingers
touch my lips,
I smile,
showing my braces.

His dark eyes look inside,
he pauses, considers
then, proudly announces,

A teeth necklace.

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