This was a project I did basically during the pandemic. I started writing a poem a day. Once ‘real life’ started again it got harder to write everyday, which is interesting.
A Pete the Frog Story
Do you remember Pete the Frog?
He lives out back, under that log?
I have a quick story to tell —
how Pete put me under his spell.
Oops, did I forget to mention?
Pete is a magical frog.
Now I have your full attention!
One day I was out in the back
thinking about having a snack.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted —
felt like crunch was what I hunted.
Pete saw me making up my mind.
He croaked out loud “Eat what you find!”
“In fact there is a worm right there.
If you pull soft it will not tear.”
And even though I was surprised,
I leaned right down and scrunched my eyes,
I pulled that worm out of the ground
and showed old Pete what I had found!
He quickly used his tongue to grab
the little worm that I had nabbed.
So, Pete the Frog, he got a snack!
I stood there like a poor sad sack!
Pete then released me from his grip.
I walked inside and had some chips!
Bob the Squirrel
A squirrel lives by my house
I have named him Bob
He mostly does squirrel things
But in one way he is quite odd
He climbs and jumps on trees
He eats nuts, fruits and seeds
But when I go outside each morn
He seems to follow me
The odd one thing ‘bout Bob
What he loves the most
Not nuts or fruits or seeds or trees
But my hot buttered toast!!
Victor’s Snow Day
Meet my friend Victor
A snake who likes snow
I know it’s quite strange
I’m sure that you know
Snakes are cold-blooded
Can’t keep themselves warm
But Victor’s an odd one
Not one for the norms
He waits under logs
Or inside a hole
For just the right day
To take his snow stroll
When the sun shines bright
No light wind does blow
Victor will find a black rock
Just above the white snow
He coils up tight
On his rock with a view
Watches snow sparkles
Like diamonds just grew
As the day lengthens
Victor slithers away
Grateful and happy
He had his snow day
Horde of Hamsters
Harold heard
A gaggle of geese
Honking and hinking
And heading due east
Susie suspected
An army of ants
Had crawled up her sandals
And into her pants!
Shane stared
At a scurry of squirrels
Got so engrossed
He missed his best girl!
Can you imagine
A horde of hamsters
A drove of hogs
Or a leap of leopards!?
Animals come
In all shapes and sizes
Big groups are named
All kinds of surprises
Can you research
Impress your best friend?
In this big world
The wonders don’t end!
Gladys and Charlie
Gladys was chubby —
a real fatty cat.
She waddled around,
made dents where she sat.
Her legs were quite spindly
but somehow they held
the girth that was Gladys
and her body that swelled.
Her owner, named Charlie,
didn’t worry one bit
about Gladys’ stature
as really unfit.
Instead he just loved her,
made her feel safe.
Didn’t matter her type —
be it giant or waif.
His friends would decry him,
”You have to help her!”
But Charlie ignored them,
he knew by the purr
that Gladys was happy
and the vet said so too,
”This cat may be fat
but she’s fine through and through.”
So Charlie continues,
to the whole world’s chagrin,
to love his cat Gladys
even though she’s not thin.
the best of all
give a gift
send some joy
maybe a book
perhaps a toy
a fine red shirt
some matching pants
some ballet shoes
to help with dance
a lego set
a new cute doll
or spend some time
the best of all
all your parts
what part of you is happy
what part gets quite sad
what part likes to read comics
what part yells when mad
what part gets up to mischief
what part likes to be hugged
what part fights with your sister
what part tripped on the rug
so many parts come together
making you all that you are
a wonderful brilliant small human
who shines like the brightest of stars
Susan’s Zoo
Susan was screaming
”What should we do?!
All of the animals
escaped from the zoo!”
There goes a zebra
behind a brown bear!
The lions are lounging
in Adam’s deck chair!
The elephants seem partial
to the big yellow arch!
Giraffes take four lanes
as they make their march!
Baboons smash the glass
at Johnson’s Ice Cream!
The tigers are lounging
in the Miller’s airstream!
The town now resembles
a zoo inside out!
Susan just stands there
and she shouts and she shouts!!
Beatrice the Bat
Beatrice was a bat
The creepy, scary kind
But also she was nice
The nicest you could find
She always brought her brothers
One mosquito each (yuck!!)
When they needed learning
She was there to teach
All the bats liked Beatrice
She was well-known in the cave
If there was a bat feast (ugh, whatever that is!!)
A place for her was saved
A bat’s life can be trying
All that hanging upside down
But no bat would be crying
When Beatrice was around
She was a real good jokester
A wide grin on her face (do bats smile!?!?)
Organizing games and things
Or “let’s put on a race!”
Bats have always scared me
I’m afraid I’ll get a bite
But if they are like Beatrice
Maybe bats might be all right (but I’m still not sure!!)
Happy Halloween my Friends! Thank you for being here!
Smelly Feet
What do you think?
Do my feet really stink?
Should I go take a shower?
Even at this late hour?
I could go to bed?
My nose and my head
are far from my feet.
But they are under the sheets
the smell it might waft!
Is that why you coughed?
Best to clean first
smelly feet are the worst!
sharks and fleas
cats and dogs
sheep and hogs
cows and bees
sharks and fleas
animals live in different places
might do work, have different faces
I wonder what our world would be
with no creatures but you and me?
That would be no good at all!
We each belong here, big and small.
Mosquito Bite
Something bit my toe
Could not have been a gnat
Must be a mosquito
The one that did do that!
Now I’ve got a bite
Itches like the devil
When my shoes rub the place
The itch it goes next level!
I’ve tried a bunch of creams
And soaks and serums too
Nothing seems to help
What else can I do ?!?
I have to just let time
Heal this horrid bite
Next time be real sure
To put the bug spray on right!!
little shrimpy
into the depth of the sea
the little shrimp did dive
his plan devised to test
the limits of being alive
he kept on going deeper
it was getting dark
kept his shrimp eyes open
alert for any sharks
deeper down he went
ahead it was pitch black
water now much colder
he thought of going back
suddenly out of shadow
appeared a glowing orb
a fish with giant teeth
more than our shrimp could absorb
then he saw a menace
that he had seen before
a giant great white shark
a guest never ever asked for
the shark was clearly hunting
scanning with wicked black eyes
our shrimp hid among some coral
happy for his small size
the shark passed out of sight
then shrimpy did decide
time to head back home
so up and up he began to ride
fun to have adventures
to see what you haven’t seen
but keep your wits about you
in the world does live some mean
when our shrimp got home
he told his friends the tale
as they were chitter chattering
up came a big blue whale
that whale swallowed them up
in one gigantic wave
as our shrimpy was going down
he was glad he had been brave
he had seen something different
he had tested himself for real
he felt proud of his adventure
and that is quite something to feel
Jasmine Jacobs
Jasmine Jacobs was her name
Chasing rabbits was her game
She would wake in early morn
Get outside, yell “you are warned!”
The rabbits, they would scatter fast
Jasmine Jacobs legs would blast
Running like a lightning bolt
Those bunnies: fast like healthy colts
Not once has Jasmine caught her prize
But everyday she tries and tries
Egad!
Oh! It’s getting harder to do this everyday!
Ugh! I find I wake up having nothing much to say!
Yikes! Maybe it’s over, the words have all dried up!
Alas! Is this the day I find an empty cup!?
Huh! I guess I found it, the words showed up again!
Phew! I made another with just a slight touch of chagrin!
Sally Smithfield Mason
Sally Smithfield Mason
A spoiled little tyke
Has her birthday party
Gets twenty-seven bikes!
Her cake has eighteen layers
With flowers orange and blue
Her party invitation reads...
“At the petting zoo!”
Nothing out of reach
For little Sally Dear
Nine big piles of presents
One for every year
Four hanging piñatas
Six performing clowns
Sally’s Birthday Party
The biggest in this town
Once the day is over
The garbage piled up
Sally is unhappy…
She has not gotten a pup!!
Sally Simpson Sykes
Sally Simpson Sykes
Loves to ride her bike
Up in early morning
Out until the night
Her feet are always pedaling
Even in her sleep
There’s no use in meddling
Her love is just too deep
Sally Simpson Sykes
Was born to ride and roll
A feeling always had
Down deep in her soul
You might see her riding
On trail or road or lane
In cold and hot, sun and wind
Even in the rain
Sally Simpson Sykes
Rides this way and that
The only thing that stops her —
A tire going flat!
Keep on a-going
I tried to make something great
Instead I made something I hate
I tried to bake lovely nice bread
Tasted more like rough tire treads
I tried to take a swim in a lake
There was me and there was the snake!
I tried to rake up all the leaves
Instead I just started to sneeze!
I tried to wake up at seven
But was in bed until after eleven!!
Sometimes right after the trying
You are left feeling like crying
But you have to keep on a-going
Because doing is not about knowing
Peter the Bee in Summer!
Peter the Bee
Is something to see
He flies all around
But he doesn’t sting me!
He seems to like flowers
Of orange and of pink
He doesn’t like yellow
Why do you think?
This is his time
The heat he likes best
He buzzes all day
Seems to not need much rest!
I still wonder a lot
About where he does go
When the sun fades away
And the moon makes its glow
Does dear old Peter
Have a mom and a dad?
No matter his family
I hope they’re all glad!
To write about Peter
Brings me great joy
A real funny question -
Is he even a boy??
apples and stars
the world is a giant place
filled with ideas and trees
and love and hugs and geese
and pandas and smiles and
stars and apples and sunflowers
and there is one more thing
in the world....
YOU
and that is the thing
I am most happy about