105 Ways to Give a Book

Poetry Friday: World’s Greatest

The World's Greatest PoemsWhat a great concept, using world records as the inspiration for poetry. Kids love the Guiness Book of World Records. Kids sometimes need to be coaxed into poetry. So what a perfect combination in The World’s Greatest Poems, written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Keith Graves.

The poems cover a variety of topics, many of them true oddities. The Shortest Street. The Dumbest Dinosaur. The Largest Mantle of Bees. My favorite two records used are The Most Live Scorpions Eaten by a Human and The Most Cobras Kissed Consecutively, but the poem I’ll share is one that reminds me of summer:

The Tallest Roller Coaster
You’re swerving north,
You’re curving south,
Your stomach sits
Inside your mouth.

You hold your breath,
You lose your nerve,
You’re scared to death
At every curve.

You’re feeling very
Sick, but then
You tell your Dad,
“Let’s go again!”
The poem reminds me of my youngest daughter’s first roller coaster experience, when she was seven. She really wanted to go, having second thoughts only as we got to the end of the line. She sat next to me without too much encouragement, but as the train started creeping up the first hill she said quietly, “I don’t think I like this.” Then as the roller coaster made its first dive, she shouted “MOMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!” I felt so bad for her — and at the same time, I couldn’t stop laughing. Which made me feel even worse. Honestly, it’s still funny thinking of it now. But just like the poem, after a little rest, she wanted to try the roller coaster again.

Poetry Friday is hosted over at Big A, little a.

5 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

Hee hee hee!

I'm pretty sure we shouldn't be laughing at your daughter, here. *cough* So, it's about the poem. It's ADORABLE.

What I love about you is that you never lie and say you DON'T laugh at your kids. In a sympathetic kind of way, of course...!

Sara said...

The exact same thing happened with my little brother at Opryland. We were on our way, all four of us kids, up the steep roller coaster hill, when he said he wanted OUT. I don't think he got back on like your daughter, though, so good on her!

Mary Lee said...

My favorites are the scorpions and the cobras, too!

jama said...

Fabulous idea for a collection of poetry. Now I must get the book so I can read about the scorpions and cobras.

Sandra the poet said...

I love that poem, thanks for sharing :) very sweet :)))