Poetry for Kids

I recently had a “half birthday,” which falls in August since my real birthday is in February. Because of this, I was thinking about writing a half-birthday poem. By the time I started working on it, it was already September. The line “I never can remember if my birthday’s in September” popped into my head because September rhymes so nicely with “remember”—and also with December and November. I liked the way that line sounded, so I created this poem with that idea as the starting point.

When thinking about half birthdays, it also occurred to me that since it might be fun to celebrate your birthday twice a year, it could be even more fun to celebrate it three or four times a year, or even more often.

Oh, and by the way, the rhythm of this poem is the same as one of my all-time favorite poems, “In Praise of Llamas” by Arthur Guiterman. It was fun to use that familiar rhythm to explore the idea of never quite remembering my birthday—and deciding how often to celebrate it!

When’s My Birthday?

I never can remember

And it may be on the seventh,

Now, while some might find this vexing,

— Kenn Nesbitt

I wrote this poem in honor of my dear friend, the children’s poet Jack Prelutsky, who turned 84 in recently. Jack was born in 1940, which, according to Chinese astrology, was the Year of the Dragon. Interestingly, his 84th birthday also falls during the Year of the Dragon. You see, in Western astrology, there are twelve zodiac symbols, one each month. In Chinese astrology, however, there are still twelve zodiac symbols, but they celebrate one per year, so each zodiac symbol repeats every twelfth year. 84 is 12 times 7, so there have been seven dragon years since the year Jack was born.

While for people, 84 years is generally considered pretty old, I wanted to draw a playful parallel between Jack’s birth year and the idea that, for a dragon, 84 is still quite young. This poem celebrates that connection and the idea that Jack, like a dragon, is still full of life and energy.

If you would like to read some of Jack’s poems, you can find them on his website at jackprelutsky.com.

Dragon’s Birthday

Today is Dragon’s birthday

The birthday cards are scribbled

The birthday toasts are proffered

— Kenn Nesbitt

Do you ever feel like the summer sometimes seems too short? One minute you’re having fun in the pool and the next thing you know, you’re sitting in class practicing spelling and arithmetic. At least, that’s the way it often feels to me. I love the summer, and not just because school is out. I love the sunshine, the warm weather, the fresh fruits, and all the summer activities.

Now, dn’t get me wrong… The other seasons are nice too. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would definitely be summer.

As I was thinking about writing a poem about the summer coming to an end, as it is where I live, I was thinking that it is short as well as summery.

The Summer Isn’t Like a Book

The summer isn’t like a book.

— Kenn Nesbitt

Hi, I’m Kenn Nesbitt. Welcome to today’s episode of Poetry4kids! With the new school year just starting up here in the U.S., I couldn’t help but think about all those shiny, new back-to-school supplies—new clothes, fresh pencils, spotless notebooks, and clean lunch boxes. There’s something exciting about starting the school year with everything brand new. But as we all know, it doesn’t take long for those new supplies to show a little wear and tear. I wrote this poem to capture what the first week of school is like, from that eager first day to what happens after just a few days of fun and learning. I hope you enjoy it.

The First Day of School

My pencils are sharpened.

My folders are empty.

My notebook is spotless.

One Week Later

My pencils are broken.

My folders are full and

My scissors are twisted.

 — Kenn Nesbitt

With the start of a new school year right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to write a humorous back-to-school poem. While kids often feel sad that summer is over and they have to go back to school, parents sometimes have a different perspective. After a busy summer filled with family activities, parents might secretly look forward to a little peace and quiet when school starts again. This poem plays with that idea, showing how parents can celebrate the end of summer in a way that kids might not expect. I hope it brings a smile to your face as you get ready for the school year ahead!

I also used some poetic techniques to make the poem more engaging. You’ll notice repetition with the line, “Our parents are planning a party,” which helps emphasize the main theme and creates a rhythm that makes the poem fun to read aloud. Additionally, there’s a bit of alliteration, like in the phrases “parents are planning a party” and “celebration as soon the summertime ends,” which adds a playful musicality to the poem. These techniques help bring the poem to life and make it more enjoyable to read!

Our Parents Are Planning a Party

Our parents are planning a party,

Our parents are planning a party.

Our parents are planning a party.

— Kenn Nesbitt

Can you believe I wrote an entire poem just so you could learn a new, funny word. Well, I did, and that word is “borborygmus.” A borborygmus is not only a funny-sounding word, but it’s also the sound your tummy makes when it rumbles, usually because of gas moving in your intestines.

When I sat down to write today, my own tummy started grumbling loudly. That happens sometimes when I’m hungry, but today, my tummy was making a lot of noise and I have no idea why. It got me thinking about all the funny and strange sounds our stomachs can make, and that’s how Iggy was born!

In this poem, I had fun playing with words, using assonance, which is where you repeat vowel sounds like “clearly hear” and “loud, resounding howl.” I also used some alliteration, which means repeating consonant sounds at the beginnings of words, like “grumble and growl,” to make the poem more playful and musical. And of course, there’s a bit of exaggeration—or hyperbole—too, with Iggy’s tummy sounds being compared to thunder and even an earthquake! I hope you enjoy hearing about Iggy as much as I enjoyed writing this poem.

Iggy Borborygmus

He’s Iggy Borborygmus, and

His gut is always gurgling

The noises Iggy’s insides make

You heard a herd of elephants?

But if you think his stomach makes

— Kenn Nesbitt

Welcome to Poetry4kids. I’m Kenn Nesbitt. Today, I want to share a new poem that’s based on a true story.

I have a cat named Reed. You might think I named him that because I like to read, but really it’s because he was rescued from a summer camp called Camp Reed.

When I first got Reed, he was just a tiny kitten. I remember how he loved to play and explore, but one thing he really liked to do was scratch. I don’t mean he liked to scratch the furniture or the curtains. I mean he liked to scratch ME.

Even though Reed is now a full-grown cat, he still scratches me sometimes, especially when he gets tired of me petting him too much. This poem is inspired by my experiences with Reed and how much I love him, despite all the scratches. I hope you enjoy “Brand New Cat.”

Brand New Cat

I got myself a brand new cat,

— Kenn Nesbitt

Welcome to today’s episode! I’m excited to share one of my favorite types of poems with you—those that play with idioms. Idioms are fun expressions that mean something different from the literal meanings of the words. For example, if I say “it’s raining cats and dogs,” I don’t mean actual pets are falling from the sky! I just mean that it is raining really, really hard.

In this poem, I’ve taken an idiom and explored both its figurative meaning and its literal meaning in a playful way. This particular poem is about the turn of the seasons from summer to fall. As you listen, see if you can spot the idiom and enjoy the clever twist at the end. I hope this poem brings a smile to your face and maybe even makes you think differently about everyday phrases. Now, let’s dive into “The Summer’s Nearly Over.”

The Summer’s Nearly Over

The summer’s nearly over and

I also took a nickel

I made a paper airplane and

I found a fifty-cent piece and

I thought I ought to tell you so

— Kenn Nesbitt

When I was in elementary school, everyone would give Valentine’s Day cards to everyone else in the class. In second grade, there was a girl in my class that I really liked, and my father convinced me that I should give her an extra special card. The card was big. It was pink and purple, and had hearts and glitter on it.

I wish I hadn’t let him talk me into it because I was so embarrassed to give it to her. I’m sure I blushed. Thankfully, she didn’t say anything about it. After that, I swore I’d never do it again, and I just went back to giving out regular Valentine’s Day cards like everyone else.

Valentine’s Day Card

I’d rather fight a tiger covered head-to-toe in gravy.

— Kenn Nesbitt

When my kids were in school, my wife and I packed them each a lunch every day. My wife would sometimes put notes in their lunchboxes, often saying, “I love you.” I always wondered whether they found it embarrassing to have love notes from their mother in their lunches. I never did find out. Instead, I decided to write a poem about a love note, and how a student might react to find one in their lunchbox.

If you like this poem, you can find lots more silly love poems and Valentine’s Day poems on my website here.

Lunchbox Love Note

Inside my lunch

— Kenn Nesbitt