Age 9
In My Glade
As I sit here in my glade
Of flowers and trees and lovely shade,
I think how lucky I am to be
Sitting beneath my own little tree.
And to hear the birds scolding so,
Flying and soaring, high and low;
How many children hear these
As they sit beneath their own little trees?
Not many, I’m sure, have seen the butterflies flit
From flower to flower, till they finally lit
Upon a blossom that must be good.
I watch this all as I sit in the wood.
But when I come out, what a sight meets my eyes!
A plane overhead roars out as it flies;
Cars rush by ditches full of trash;
People beg that evilmaker—cold, hard, cash.
Then back to my woods, I go;
Instead of planes, crows caw as they fly low;
Instead of cars, a pheasant runs:
Instead of people, chickadees beg my bread crumbs.
Halloween
Halloween night
Gives me fright
So I recite:
It’s quite
Alright
On Halloween night…
I think.
Age 10
Thanksgiving
The Pilgrims were thankful
For harvest of grain,
For food from the forest,
For sunshine and rain.
If they could be thankful
For their scanty store,
Then we should be thankful,
For we have much more.
Sad Face
My hound dog
is a joker.
His saggy face
looks sad,
But in the back,
his waggy tail
Shows me
that he is glad.
City Song
many windows,
many floors
many people,
many stores
many streets,
and many bangings,
many whistles,
many clangings
many, many, many, many—
many of everything, many of any!
Autumn Bird Song
Over the housetops,
Over the trees,
Winging their way
Is a stiff fall breeze,
A flock of birds
Is flying along
Southward, for winter,
Singing a song,
Singing a song
They all like to sing,
“We’ll see you again
When it’s spring, spring, spring!”
Rambunctious Brook
You should hear
brook in spring!
It is a noisy
Tumbling thing.
It sneaks through thickets,
Jumping out
To scare a beaver
With a shout!
It sweeps ‘round rocks and laughs and pushes
The small green frogs
Around its rushes,
Who swell their silver
Throats to song
And serenade it
All night long!