Happy Poetry Friday, this week hosted by teacher and writer, Elizabeth Norton HERE, at her blog “Unexpected Intersections.” Thank you for hosting this week, Elizabeth. I am looking forward to what she has to offer us this week.
I have some ideas for some new poems for kids that I hope will be light and humorous. So in search of further ideas about form and style, I turned to Sylvia Vardell’s wonderful anthology, A WORLD FULL OF POEMS, a book I’ve mentioned before.
I quickly discovered a poem by Jack Prelutsky, with repetition, rhyming and humor that meshed with my topic. Here is the first stanza:
I'M MUCH TOO TIRED TO PLAY TONIGHT by Jack Prelutsky I’m much too tired to play tonight, I’m much too tired to talk, I’m much too tired to pet the dog, or take him for a walk, I’m much too tired to bounce a ball, I’m much too tired to sing, I’m much to tired to try to think about a single thing. read the rest Here.
So, using this as a mentor poem, and given our zero degree temperatures lately in New York, I came up with this:
TOO COLD TO PLAY OUTSIDE TODAY (Inspired by Jack Prelutsky's "I'm Much Too Tired to Play Tonight") Too cold to play outside today, too cold to climb the slide, too cold to swing on swings today, too cold to chase and hide, too cold to throw a rubber ball, too cold to skip and run, too cold to sleigh ride down the hill, there’s hardly any sun! But I'm tired of playing silly games, I'm bored with the TV! I chased the dog around the house, now Sister’s mad at me. So although it is a cold, cold day not fit for even crows, I'll put on my coat, my boots, my hat and plunge into the snow. @ Janice Scully 2022
Maybe writing this was good luck, because as I write this it’s a warm 40 F and I hear dripping from the eaves. I think I’ll even play outside today.
Before I close, I have a beautiful postcard and haiku from Carol Labuzzetta to share from Arches National Park. I wish I could go there today! Thank you, Carol!
Eye of the tiger Keenly seeing the future Blinking honestly © Carol Labuzzetta 2022
Good health to all! Thank you, Elizabeth Norton, for hosting!
You’ve captured the whimsy in that cold day! Great rhythm with a fun twist at the end.
I hope you do get to play outside today. What a wonderful, cheerful, and light poem. I crave writing “light” these days. Maybe it’s the winter feel I want to shake off. At any rate, you have me skipping along with the idea of play today. Maybe my students will be too? Great poem from a fabulous mentor text!
I got goosebumps from your poem, Janice – literally and figuratively. Prelutsky is fabulous mentor for poetic exuberance – whether about being tired or cold! 🙂
When I woke up yesterday, it was minus 3; today it’s 4, a welcome change, but really it is supposed to get above freezing today. We will hear those drips, too! Have fun outside! Your poem is delightful, Janice. I love those final lines in each verse!
Oh, Janice, the snowstorm here has brought about 8 inches since yesterday and maybe a couple more today. When I grew up on Long Island we could almost always go out and play in the snow because the temps were so much milder. What incredible fun we had. I have really enjoyed snow-shoeing up here but have not been in a while. We used to take the students to Beaver Lake which is a wonderful spot for that. Have you been? Thanks for sharing your poem, plus that oh-so-true one from Jack Prelutsky! And Carol’s beautiful postcard. Thanks for hosting me last week! I hope you are going to consider giving the Golden Die Contest a try!
I do love Beaver Lake, and have to revisit it. It’s been a while. I have to get to work on that poem! I’m sure I can come up with something. 🙂 It’s still snowing here a little. Stay warm.
Great job! It certainly has been a COLD winter. Like the playful tone in your poem and the upbeat ending.
Love your poem, Janice. And your idea of searching for a mentor text is excellent… I need to do it. Thanks, and best wishes.
Janice, you have utilized the structure of Jack Prelutsky’s poem most effectively to create a poem of your own. Your efforts as a writer provide a strong example of how we can use a mentor text to imitate and innovate. You took the reader to a different place with the subject you chose. You have reminded me to delve back into my own copy of ‘A World of Poems’ in search of inspiration.
Janice, I have always loved Jack Prelutsky and so have students. His style is light-hearted and fun. You used his poem as a model mentor text for creating your own poems with rhythm and rhyme,
Well done! You took your mentor poem and ran (outside) with it (in spite of the cold)!!!
Janice, that is a fun poem, and I just might have to plunge into the remaining snow today, too. Just like your poem’s speaker, I am tired of TV! I really do like the idea of using a mentor poem.
What a delightful poem you wrote Janice, I love the ending,
“I’ll put on my coat, my boots, my hat
and plunge into the snow. ”
The ending reminds me a bit of A. A. Milne’s poem “Happiness” which I’m sure you know, but here’s a link to it: https://www.poeticous.com/a-a-milne
The Prelutsky poem seemed to fit your calling perfectly, thanks!
You’ve created a fun poem that has all the humor and poetic elements of the mentor text and just begs to be read aloud. Thanks for sharing this and for being a part of the Poetry Friday party!
Your poem flows with rhythm. I especially love those last two lines!