June 27, 2015

 TAMALES

This food is 
too hot for me.
I think you used
too much chili.

  One of the fun things about traveling is the opportunity to try eating new foods at new places.  What was the last new food you tried to eat?  I recently was visiting Bar Harbor, Maine.  I got to eat lobster rolls, and crab rolls.  I'd never eaten crab or lobster on a bun before.  It was very good. For my breakfast, I had blueberry jam made with maple syrup on my toast.  That was totally yummy.  Of course it throws my diet totally off.  But, we all must make sacrifices when traveling.  Can you write a poem today about trying a new food?  Have fun writing.

Children's poetry feeds my soul.

DIVERSITY

I want to learn
about people
with different faces,
to find out more
about their country
and the distant places.

I want to learn 
their customs,
eat their food,
step to their dances,
speak their language
in gratitude.

Our world is
such an amazing place,
Can you help me
to learn 
about every race?

     Part of the reason I like to travel is because I like meeting people from other countries.  I learn something from everyone I meet.  Everyone is different.  Everyone is special.  All this diversity makes our country very rich.  Can you write a poem today about someone different? About one of the dances? One of the foods?  One of the customs that person has that is different? What is one of the customs your family shares?  Can you write about sharing today?  Have fun.

EDDIE

Easy Eddie
for his food pick,
likes to eat
Eggs Benedict.


     Happy last day of March.  Tomorrow is April Fools Day.  I wonder what wild tricks I can think to play.  Tomorrow also starts National Poetry Month.  It is a great time to celebrate poetry.  For your poetry challenge for today, can you write a poem about eggs?  Sunday is Easter.  Will you have an egg hunt?  Will you dye eggs?  Have fun writing.  And tell me about your celebration.

Baby Eats

Baby eats her O's.
Baby eats her mush.
As she eats she throws
it on the rest of us.

     Hey, it is Wednesday, hump day.  Your work week is half over.  I hope you are having a great week.  I certainly am.
     Besides eating and wearing, what are some other things you can do with food?  Think about it for a moment.  Now can you write a poem about that?  Surprise me.  For that matter, did you surprise yourself?  Have fun with your poetry writing.  Enjoy.
    Thank you for stopping by and reading my little poem for today.

Mice Aren't Nice!

What is that noise
I hear in my house?
It's a scurry.
It's a scraping.
It's a little gray mouse.

His nails are clicking
all over the floor.
I hear him knocking
at every wood door.

With a little gray tail
and noisy small feet,
I think he is looking
for something to eat.

I've set out traps.
I'm not being rude.
That little gray mouse
ate up all my food.


    It is that time of year.  The mice and packrats are having babies, so who knows where I'm going to find them next.  I'm always sad when I find one of them in my swimming pool.  Can you write a poem today about one of the pests around your house?  (And if you're moved to write about your little brother, that is OK too.)

The Elephant

There is an elephant
in my lunchbox.
He's eating all my food.
He never says,
Please or Thank you.
I think he's very rude.

HOW THE WHALE FELT

Oh, dear! What should I do?
I opened my mouth
and a boat with Jonah
came in too.

A boat and Jonah,
I should note
are stuck
down there
inside my throat.

Oh, dear!  What can I say?
I've coughed and coughed
but they won't go away.

Oh, dear! I feel quite ill.
No matter my effort,
they're stuck there still.

Oh, dear! I don't want 
Jonah for a guest.
With him in my throat
I can not rest.

Oh, dear! On keeping them
I'm not too keen,
I like food filtered
through my baleen.

Oh, dear!  I'm surely stuck.
that wooden boat
is my bad luck.

Oh, dear! I can't take much more.
My throat is raw
and very sore.

Oh, dear! I don't want to pout.
Can you tell me
how to get them out?


      This is a poem that works well for a group reading.  The group can repeat the refrain of, "Oh dear!" or members of the group can be given separate lines.  Can you try writing you own poem with a repeated line today? 

Happy Thanksgiving

The turkey in the oven
smells like it is roasting.
The kitchen smells like baking.
Meet the friends we are hosting.

The TV shows a football game
Daddy yells, "Hurray!"
Mom asks us all to please
go outside and play.

My cousin makes a center piece.
My aunt sets the table.
This morning we watched Macy's parade,
it came thru on our cable.

We are all so thankful
for all this food to eat.
I'm glad that you stopped by,
it is a special treat.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Muffins

Muffins are tasty.

Muffins are sweet.

They're my favorite

food to eat.

Blueberry,

banana,

poppy seed.

These yummy

muffins

are what

I need.

Be it a mouse,

a moose 

or me,

we eat every

muffin 

that we see.

      Happy Monday.  What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  Today can you write a poem about one of your favorite foods?
    

Sometimes writing short poems is fun.

FISH STICKS

Alaskan Grizzlies

fight over salmon.

I hate fish!

They can have ‘em.

  

If you have foods you don't like, maybe spinach, okra, collard greens, try writing a poem about that.  Who is is that gives you this food?  Why do they want you to eat it?  Are there any foods that you are forbidden to eat?  How about a poems about that?  Food poems are good to write because it is easy to get all of your senses into the poem.  Taste is usually the hardest sense to get into a poem.  Of all the senses it is the least written about.  Can you figure out why?  Put a smile on your face and get writing.

What's In There?

    Today's poem written for two or more voices using a repetitive chant.  Maybe it is my irregular eating habit lately that has me thinking food!

SOMETHING IN MY FOOD

Mama, oh Mama!

Look in there,

In my milk

There’s a hair.

Drink it child

And do not sass.

How else will you grow

A milk mustache?

Daddy, oh Daddy!

What’s the big deal?

There’s a cricket

In my oatmeal.

Hurry to eat it,

And get the froth,

Munch it quickly

‘Fore it jumps off.

Granny, oh Granny!

There’s a fly

Sitting in my

Chicken potpie.

Eat it child.

Just blow off that fuzz.

How else will you get

A good fly buzz?

Granddaddy, oh Granddaddy!

They’ve tried to hide her,

But inside my hamburger

There’s spider.

Hush now child.

Don’t be mean.

It’s just some good

Lean protein.