Hello Everyone !

Here is a poem from Ubiquitous by Joyce Sidman, a volume that highlights “Nature’s Survivors”. Enjoy!

The Lichen We

(after Siegfried Sassoon’s “Man and Dog”)

Who’s this—alone with stone and sea?

It’s just the lowly Lichen We:

the alga I, the fungus me;

together, blooming quietly.

What do we share–we two together?

A brave indifference to the weather.

A slow but steady growing pace.

Resemblance to both mud and lace.

As we now, so we shall be

(if air clear and water free):

the proud but lowly Lichen We,

cemented for eternity.

Today’s poetry selection is “The Genie In The Flask”, from Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein in which we see a genie in a different light. Enjoy!

The Genie In The Flask

I opened up that magic flask,

And zoof, up popped a genie.

I thought he’d be my slave, but no–

This genie is a meanie.

instead of filling every wish

And doing all my bidding,

He says that I must be his slave,

And oh, He isn’t kidding.

I sweat and cough with no days off

From Tuesdays until Mondays.

I cook his beans and scrub his back

And wash his yucky undies

And sweep and paint–this surely ain’t

The magic I was hopin’.

I guess in life it all depends

Which magic flask you open.

Today’s poetry selection comes from Comets, Stars, The Moon, and Mars by Douglas Florian. If you work with kids, one of the most popular subjects besides dinosaurs is space. There is something about the stars, and the universe that attracts our youngsters. In this volume, Florian takes on the subject of space through poetry. Enjoy !

The Universe

The universe is every place,

Including all the e m p t y space.

It’s every star and galaxy,

All objects of astronomy,

Geography, zoology,

(Each cat and dog and bumblebee),

All persons throughout history–

Including you,

Including me.