Index of Poetry
“18 Flavors” by Shel Silverstein
“A Tale About Zack and Zeke” by Unknown (math poem about fractions)
“Batty” by Shel Silverstein
“Bear in There” by Shel Silverstein
“Boa Constrictor” by Shel Silverstein
“Ceiling” by Zoë Ryder White
“Channels” by Shel Silverstein
“Cloony the Clown” by Shel Silverstein
“Dreams” by Langston Hughes
“A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes
“Examination” by Shel Silverstein
“Finding a Way” by Myra Cohn Livingston
“Go Wind” by Lilian Moore
“Homework Machine” by Shel Silverstein
“How to Make a Poem” by Danielle Pioggia (3rd grader)
“Hug O’ War” by Shel Silverstein
“I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes
“Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too” by Shel Silverstein
“It’s Dark in Here” by Shel SIlverstein
“Landing Lane” by Alyssa Forlenza
“Loser” by Shel Silverstein
“Messy Room” by Shel Silverstein
“My Beard” by Shel Silverstein
“My Mouth” by Arnold Adoff
“My People” by Langston Hughes
“One Inch Tall” by Shel Silverstein
“Pencil Sharpener” by Zoë Ryder White
“Picture Puzzle Piece” by Shel Silverstein
“Poem” by Langston Hughes
“Quiet” by Myra Cohn Livingston
“Rain” by Shel Silverstein
“Safety Pin” by Valerie Worth
“Shape Poem” by Unknown (math poem about shapes)
“Strange Restaurant” by Shel Silverstein
“The Basketball” by Alexander W. Marcus (4th grader)
“The Clock Poem” by Unknown (math poem)
“The Little Boy and the Old Man” by Shel Silverstein
“The Sun’s Light” by James Terdiman (4th grader)
“The Wind, the Wind” by Breahna Arnold (2nd grader)
“Things” by Eloise Greenfield
“What If” by Shel Silverstein
“Where Does Poetry Hide” by Unknown
“Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein
“Wild Horses” by Georgia Heard
My People
By Langston Hughes
The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.
The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people.
Beautiful, also is the sun.
Beautiful, also are the souls of my people.
Quiet
By Myra Cohn Livingston
QUIET
it say
in the library
QUIET
and what I want to know is
what’s quiet
inside the books
with all those
ideas and words
SHOUTING?
My Mouth
By Arnold Adoff
stays shut
but
food just
finds
a way
my tongue says
we are
full today
but
teeth just
grin
and
say
come in
i am always hungry
Finding a Way
By Myra Cohn Livingston
I’d like you for a friend.
I’d like to find a way.
Of asking you to be my friend.
I don’t know what to say.
What would you like to hear?
What is it I can do?
There has to be some word, some look
connecting me to you.
Where Does Poetry Hide
By Unkown
Poetry hides
in music in the
limbo
Poetry hides
in your shoe
Where it walks
Poetry hides
in a clock
in the numbers
Poetry hides
in a baby’s giggle
Poetry hides
in a spring
picture.
Wild Horses
By Georgie Heard
My best friend and I
change into wild horses.
We gallop on lawns,
jump over fences
canter up hills,
slapping our rumps to go faster,
tangled manes flowing behind us.
We run toward the creek,
sip cold water,
and paw the grass with our hooves.
Then with soft tired whinnies,
Walk to the deep pool of shade
Beneath the tree to rest
and change slowly
from wild horses back into girls—
“But not any less wild,” my mother says—
just in time for supper.
Landing Lane
By Alyssa Forlenza
The wrinkled
water
tells old
stories to
the
birds
who fly
above.
The mellow breeze
calms me. The wrinkling
water hypnotizes me.
The swaying grass tells me
a story.
A boat
carefully
listens to
the wind’s
favorite
stories.
The Basketball
By Alexander W. Marcus (4th grader)
An orange sphere,
Hard in your hands,
With tiny bumps all over,
As if it has the chicken pox,
It soars like an eagle in the sky,
Curving up and diving down into its nest.
The Sun’s Light
By James Terdiman (4th grader)
The sun’s brightness gets brighter each hour
Just like me
The sun gets up in the morning
Just like me
The sun goes to sleep on its soft cushion
Just like I sleep in my warm bed
The difference between the sun and me is that…
It just sits in one place,
While I play in its shine
How to Make a Poem
By Danielle Pioggia (3rd grader)
Close your eyes.
Don’t peek.
Close them tight,
Tight so it’s
dark, dark
till you see something
in sight.
Close your eyes
don’t peek.
Try
and see a poem.
The Wind, the Wind
By Breahna Arnold (2nd grader)
The wind, the wind
is singing a sweet song.
The trees, the trees
are dancing through the sky.
The clouds, the clouds
are whispering.
The bees, the bees
are buzzing in my ear.
The wind, the wind.
The trees, the trees.
The clouds, the clouds.
The bees, the bees.
A new story has been told.
Safety Pin
by Valerie Worth
Closed, it sleeps
On it’s side
Quietly.
The silver
Image
Of some
Small fish;
Open, it snaps
Its tail out
Like a thin
Shrimp, and looks
At the sharp
Point with a
Surprised eye.
Things
by Eloise Greenfield
Went to the corner
Walked in the store
Bought me some candy
Ain’t got it no more
Ain’t got it no more
Went to the beach
Played on the shore
Built me a sandhouse
Ain’t got it no more
Ain’t got it no more
Went to the kitchen
Lay down on the floor
Made me a poem
Still got it
Still got it
Poem
by Langston Hughes
I loved my friend.
He went away from me.
There’s nothing more to say.
The poem ends,
Soft as it began –
I loved my friend
Go Wind
by Lilian Moore
Go wind, blow
Push wind, swoosh
Shake things
Take things
Make things
fly.
Ring things.
Swing things.
Fling things
high.
Go wind, blow
Push things – whew.
No wind, no
Not me –
not me.
Pencil Sharpener
by Zoë Ryder White
I think there are a hundred bees
inside the pencil sharpener
and they buzz
and buzz
and buzz
until my point
is sharp!
Ceiling
by Zoë Ryder White
The ceiling
is the sky
for the classroom.
A Tale about Zeke and Zack
By Unknown
Yes, Zack and Zeke,
Zeke and Zack,
Two great friends,
A dog and a cat.
They took a trip,
This dog and this kitty.
Off they went
To see the big city.
Zeke was big
And Zack was little.
But whatever they bought
They split down the middle.
Zeke said, "I'm hungry.
How about you?"
So they bought a sandwich
And split it in two.
They bought 4 hot dogs
And this worked best:
Zeke took half
Zack took the rest.
They did some more wandering
All over town
Then bought 6 hamburgers
And swallowed them down.
They passed the zoo,
They saw a giraffe
They had 8 marshmallows
And each took half.
Yes, Zeke was big
And Zack was little
But whatever they had
They split down the middle.
Shape Poem
By Unknown
I am Cera Circle
Watch me turn round and round
And you will learn
I’m not straight and I don’t bend
My outside edges never end!
Squire Square is my name
My four sides are just the same
Turn me around, I don’t care
I’m always the same, I’m a square!
I am Danny Diamond
I am like a kite
But I’m really just a square
Whose corners are pulled tight
Ricky rectangle is my name
My four sides are not the same
Two are short and two are long
Count my sides, come along
1-2-3-4
I’m Tommy Triangle
Look at me
Count my sides
There’s 1-2-3!
Opal Oval is my name.
The circle and I are not the same.
The circle is round, as round can be.
I am shaped like an egg as you can see
Harry Heart is my name
The shape I make is my fame
With a point on the bottom and two humps on top
When it comes to love I just can’t stop!
I am Sarah Star
You can see me twinkle from afar
My five points make me complete
When I’m brightly shining I can’t be beat
The Clock Poem
By Unknown
I'm in the clock crew and I'm okay!
I tick all night and I tick all day.
I've got two hands, I'm having a ball,
Because I've got no arms at all!
My big hand can move sixty minutes in one hour,
I'm the one with the strength and power.
My small hand isn't quite as fast.
If they were in a race, it would come last!
It takes so long just to get around (12 hours you know),
It's careful, small, and slow.
Now meet my friends that help me tick-tock,
Half past, quarter past, quarter to and o'clock.
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
By Langston Hughes
A Dream Deferred
by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Homework Machine
By Shel Silverstein
The Homework Machine , oh the Homework Machine,
Most perfect contraption that’s ever been seen.
Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,
Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds time,
You homework comes out, quick and clean as can be.
Here is is – “nine plus four?” and the answer is “three”.
Three?
Oh me...
I guess it’s not as perfect
As I thought it would be.
Messy Room
by Shel Silverstein
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or-Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
Whatif
by Shel Silverstein
Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow tall?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems well, and then
the nighttime Whatifs strike again!
Bear In There
by Shel Silverstein
There's a Polar Bear
In our Frigidaire-He likes it 'cause it's cold in there.
With his seat in the meat
And his face in the fish
And his big hairy paws
In the buttery dish,
He's nibbling the noodles,
He's munching the rice,
He's slurping the soda,
He's licking the ice.
And he lets out a roar
If you open the door.
And it gives me a scare
To know he's in there-That Polary Bear
In our Fridgitydaire.
Picture Puzzle Piece
by Shel Silverstein
One picture puzzle piece
Lyin' on the sidewalk,
One picture puzzle piece
Soakin' in the rain.
It might be a button of blue
On the coat of the woman
Who lived in a shoe.
It might be a magical bean,
Or a fold in the red
Velvet robe of a queen.
It might be the one little bite
Of the apple her stepmother
Gave to Snow White.
It might be the veil of a bride
Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.
It might be a small tuft of hair
On the big bouncy belly
Of Bobo the Bear.
It might be a bit of the cloak
Of the Witch of the West
As she melted to smoke.
It might be a shadowy trace
Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.
Nothing has more possibilities
Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.
Cloony The Clown
by Shel Silverstein
I'll tell you the story of Cloony the Clown
Who worked in a circus that came through town.
His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,
But he just wasn't, just wasn't funny at all.
He had a trombone to play loud silly tunes,
He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.
He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and tall,
But he just wasn't, just wasn't funny at all.
And every time he did a trick,
Everyone felt a little sick.
And every time he told a joke,
Folks sighed as if their hearts were broke.
And every time he lost a shoe,
Everyone looked awfully blue.
And every time he stood on his head,
Everyone screamed, "Go back to bed!"
And every time he made a leap,
Everybody fell asleep.
And every time he ate his tie,
Everyone began to cry.
And Cloony could not make any money
Simply because he was not funny.
One day he said, "I'll tell this town
How it feels to be an unfunny clown."
And he told them all why he looked so sad,
And he told them all why he felt so bad.
He told of Pain and Rain and Cold,
He told of Darkness in his soul,
And after he finished his tale of woe,
Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no,
They laughed until they shook the trees
With "Hah-Hah-Hahs" and "Hee-Hee-Hees."
They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,
They laughed all day, they laughed all week,
They laughed until they had a fit,
They laughed until their jackets split.
The laughter spread for miles around
To every city, every town,
Over mountains, 'cross the sea,
From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.
And soon the whole world rang with laughter,
Lasting till forever after,
While Cloony stood in the circus tent,
With his head drooped low and his shoulders bent.
And he said,"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT I'M FUNNY JUST BY ACCIDENT."
And while the world laughed outside.
Cloony the Clown sat down and cried.
The Little Boy and the Old Man
by Shel Silverstein
Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.
Boa Constrictor
by Shel Silverstein
Oh, I'm being eaten
By a boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don't like it--one bit.
Well, what do you know?
It's nibblin' my toe.
Oh, gee,
It's up to my knee.
Oh my,
It's up to my thigh.
Oh, fiddle,
It's up to my middle.
Oh, heck,
It's up to my neck.
Oh, dread,
It's upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff . . .
It's Dark in Here
by Shel Silverstein
I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion's cage
I'm afraid I got too near.
And I'm writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
One Inch Tall
by Shel Silverstein
If you were only one inch tall, you'd ride a worm to
school.
The teardrop of a crying ant would be your swimming
pool.
A crumb of cake would be a feast
And last you seven days at least,
A flea would be a frightening beast
If you were one inch tall.
If you were only one inch tall, you'd walk beneath the
door,
And it would take about a month to get down to the
store.
A bit of fluff would be your bed,
You'd swing upon a spider's thread,
And wear a thimble on your head
If you were one inch tall.
You'd surf across the kitchen sink upon a stick of gum.
You couldn't hug your mama, you'd just have to hug her
thumb.
You'd run from people's feet in fright,
To move a pen would take all night,
(This poem took fourteen years to write-'Cause I'm just one inch tall).
Rain
by Shel Silverstein
I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.
I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand-I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said-I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they
know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
I, Too, Sing America
by Langston Hughes
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed-I, too, am America.
My Beard
by Shel Silverstein
My beard grows down to my toes,
I never wears no clothes,
I wraps my hair
Around my bare,
And down the road I goes.
Batty
by Shel Silverstein
The baby bat
Screamed out in fright,
'Turn on the dark,
I'm afraid of the light.'
Loser
by Shel Silverstein
Mama said I'd lose my head
If it wasn't fastened on.
Today I guess it wasn't
'Cause while playing with my cousin
It fell off and rolled away
And now its gone.
And I can't look for it
'Cause my eyes are in it,
And I can't call to it
'Cause my mouth is on it
(Couldn't hear me anyway
'Cause my ears are on it),
Can't even think about it
'Cause my brain is in it.
So I guess I'll sit down
On this rock
And rest for just a minute…
Channels
by Shel Silverstein
Channel 1's no fun.
Channel 2's just news.
Channel 3's hard to see.
Channel 4 is just a bore.
Channel 5 is all jive.
Channel 6 needs to be fixed.
Channel 7 and Channel 8Just old movies, not so great.
Channel 9's a waste of time.
Channel 10 is off, my child.
Wouldn't you like to talk a while?
Examination
by Shel Silverstein
I went to the doctorHe reached down my throat,
He pulled out a shoe
And a little toy boat,
He pulled out a skate
And a bicycle seat,
And said 'Be more careful
About what you eat.'
Strange Restaurant
by Shel Silverstein
I said, "I'll take the T-bone steak."
A soft voice mooed, "Oh wow."
And I looked up and realized
The waitress was a cow.
I cried, "Mistake--forget the the steak.
I'll take the chicken then."
I heard a cluck--'twas just my luck
The busboy was a hen.
I said, "Okay no, fowl today.
I'll have the seafood dish."
Then I saw through the kitchen door
The cook--he was a fish.
I screamed, "Is there anyone workin' here
Who's an onion or a beet?
No? Your're sure? Okay then friends,
A salad's what I'll eat."
They looked at me. "Oh,no," they said,
"The owner is a cabbage head."
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too
by Shel Silverstein
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,
Went for a ride in a flying shoe,
"Hooray!"
"What fun!"
"It's time we flew!"
Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
Ickle was captain, Pickle was crew,
And Tickle served coffee and mulligan stew
As higher
And higher
And higher they flew,
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,
Over the sun and beyond the blue. "
Hold on!"
"Stay in!"
"I hope we do!"
Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too
Never returned to the world they knew,
And nobody
knows what's
happened to
Dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
Hug O' War
by Shel Silverstein
I will not play at tug o' war
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses
And everyone grins
And everyone cuddles
And everyone wins.
Eighteen Flavors
by Shel Silverstein
Eighteen luscious, scrumptious flavors
Chocolate, lime and cherry,
Coffee, pumpkin, fudge banana
Caramel cream and boysenberry.
Rocky road and toasted almond,
Butterscotch, vanilla dip,
Butter brickle, apple ripple,
Coconut and mocha chip,
Brandy peach and lemon custard,
Each scoop lovely, smooth and round,
Tallest ice cream cone in town,
Lying there (sniff) on the ground.