Poetry Friday

Taking my cue from some favorite academic bloggers (Scrivener, for example), I'm instituting poetry Fridays around here.

Kids don't read poetry enough. Heck, Americans don't read poetry enough. I memorized a grand total of one poem in school.

Reading and memorizing poetry gives a child so much--dexterity and creativity in language use, increased memory skills, and a line at the ready for any occasion. And, poetry is fun to read aloud and share with others.

This week I've chosen a poem that's a blast to read aloud. It's a funny one with a fabulous title, "Disobedience," by A.A. Milne.

DISOBEDIENCE

James James
Morrison Morrison
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great
Care of his Mother,
Though he was only three.
James James
Said to his Mother,
"Mother," he said, said he:
"You must never go down to the end of town,
if you don't go down with me."

James James
Morrison's Mother
Put on a golden gown,
James James
Morrison's Mother
Drove to the end of town.
James James
Morrison's Mother
Said to herself, said she:
"I can get right down to the end of town and be
back in time for tea."

King John
Put up a notice,
"LOST or STOLEN or STRAYED!
JAMES JAMES
MORRISON'S MOTHER
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISLAID.
LAST SEEN
WANDERING VAGUELY:
QUITE OF HER OWN ACCORD,
SHE TRIED TO GET DOWN TO THE END
OF THE TOWN--FORTY SHILLINGS
REWARD!"

James James
Morrison Morrison
(Commonly known as Jim)
Told his
Other relations
Not to go blaming him.
James James
Said to his Mother,
"Mother," he said, said he:
"You must never go down to the end of the town
without consulting me."

James James
Morrison's mother
Hasn't been heard of since.
King John
Said he was sorry,
So did the Queen and Prince.
King John
(Somebody told me)
Said to a man he knew:
"If people go down to the end of the town, well, what
can anyone do?

(Now then, very softly)

J. J.
M. M.
W. G. DuP.
Took great
C/o his M*****
Though he was only 3.
J. J.
Said to his M*****
"M*****," he said, said he:
"You-must-never-go-down-to-the-end-of-the-town-
if-you-don't-go-down-with ME!"

I love this hilarious read-aloud. It generates so many questions. Who is the narrator who spoke to King John? What happens at the end of town? What in the world was mother up to?

From: Talking Like the Rain, by X.J. and Dortothy M. Kennedy. Illustrations by Jane Dyer. Little, Brown, 1992.