I Dreamt I Saw a Dinosaur
by
Mary Ann Hoberman
I dreamt I saw a dinosaur
Who stretched up very high.
I dreamt I saw a dinosaur
Who towered to the sky.
I dreamt I saw a dinosaur
Who told me with a sigh,
"I dreamt I saw a dinosaur
Who dreamt he saw a dinosaur
Who dreamt he saw a dinosaur
Who dreamt he saw a fly."
©2009 Mary Ann Hoberman. All rights reserved.
Mary Ann Hoberman is the Poetry Foundation's current Children's Poet Laureate and a recipient of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. So I'm clearly not the first to recognize that she does wonders with words... but, well, she does! I can lose myself in her wordplay and often find my brain filling in more details of the pictures her poems create. And I've watched it happen to kids -- I've seen their eyes sparkle that certain sparkle when I'm reading one of her poems aloud to them.
I've actually been lucky enough to see Mary Ann Hoberman during a classroom visit. I knew the class she was going into... knew how fun they could be but how hard it would be for her to reach them. I think it took her 33 seconds. It was truly remarkable to watch -- they performed with her, laughed with her, listened intently, and were transported to a place we clearly all need to go more often. Luckily for all of us, she continues to spread that same poetic joy, and I'm thrilled to have her do some of that here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days!
Yesterday (during National Library Week!), we had Linda Sue Park's Villanelle: Why I Love Libraries. Tomorrow... "Me and Joe Lining Up After Recess" by Betsy Franco.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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5 comments:
I have also always loved Mary Ann Hoberman's poetry. It often looks simple... but it never really is, imo.
The swingy nature of her poetry lends itself very well to being read aloud by teachers and classes.
Wow, talk about a perfect ending!
I Dreamt I Was a Flyosaur
by
Percy Bisque Silley
I dreamt I was a flyosaur -
A fly made very big -
I dreamt I was a flyosaur
That crashed upon a twig;
I dreamt I was a flyosaur
As fat as any pig
Who wakened with a sinusnore
A'calling for his love, Lenore
Who looked good in a wig.
Lenore, my lovely wife of yore
Did look good in a wig
O.
This poem is such a great read. I totally see myself reading this to my early learners. I also enjoyed Percy's contribution too. Funny!
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