Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A POEM FOR YOUR POCKET!


You know that I’m a huge advocate for poetry.  So many things in life get “lost” along the way, but when you give children a poem it’s theirs for a lifetime.

When I was a little girl 60 years ago we didn’t have televisions, computers, or videos.  We also didn’t have very many books or access to a library.  However, the books that we did have were treasured and the stories were read over and over again.  One of my favorite poems was “The Swing” by Robert Louis Stevenson.  When our grandson K.J. was visiting last week I got out my raggedy old book and read the poem to him.  It was “magic”!  I was in my mother’s arms once again and she was reading to me.  What a joy to share that bridge in time with him!

When you have a few extra minutes today, invite your children to close their eyes as you share this poem:

The Swing
By Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,
         Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
         Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
         Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
         Over the countryside—

Till I look down on the garden green,
         Down on the roof so brown—
Up in the air I go flying again,
         Up in the air and down!

Note:  You could ask children to draw pictures of what they “see” in their brains, or just let it be!