TREES

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast

A tree that looks at God all day

And lifts her leafy arms to pray

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair

Upon whose bosom snow has lain

Who intimately lives with rain

Poems are made by fools like me

But only God can make a tree.

Joyce Kilmer

TERESA’S RED ADIDAS

I think that I shall never view

Shoes as nice as those on you

They’re red and soft with stripes of white.

One goes left, the other right.

I hope they let you run quick fast.

I also hope they last and last.

Shoes are made for feet like those

And I just love the ones you chose.

Paul B. Janeczko

MAGIC WORDS

In the very earliest time,

When both people and animals lived on earth,

A person could become an animal if he wanted to

And an animal could become a human being.

Sometimes they were people

And sometimes animals

And there was no difference.

All spoke the same language.

That was the time when words were like magic.

The human mind had mysterious powers.

A word spoken by chance

Might have strange consequences.

It would suddenly come alive

And what people wanted to happen, could happen.

Nobody could explain this:

That’s the way it was.

Netsilik origin (Eskimo)

Translated by Edward Field

SHY

Sometimes when I don’t want to go

To visit someone I don’t know,

They never stop to ask me why.

She’s shy

They say

She’s shy

Or if we’re leaving someone’s house,

They say I’m quiet as a mouse

When I forget to say goodbye

She’s shy

They say

She’s shy

Cat’s got her tongue, they always say.

She often does clam up this way.

She’s quiet as a stone today.

She’s shy

They say

She’s shy

I am not shy- or if I am

I’m not a mouse or stone or clam.

I like to look and listen to

What other people say and do.

If I can’t think of things to say,

Why should I say things anyway?

I don’t see why

That makes me shy

Mary Ann Hoberman

CRYING

Crying only a little bit

Is no use. You must cry

Until your pillow is soaked!

Then you can get up and laugh.

Then you can jump in the shower

And splash- splash- splash!

Then you can throw open your window

And, “Ha, ha, ha, ha!”

And if people say: “Hey,

What’s going on up there?”

“Ha, ha!”- sing back- “Happiness

Was hiding in the last tear!

I wept it! Ha, ha!”

Galway Kinnell