I don’t write much poetry for children – or I haven’t yet I should say – but this is one of my favorite pieces. It is based on a very early childhood memory that I have of a squirrel attempting to get into our house near our kitchen. Enjoy!
A squirrel came to dinner –
Popped his head right through the wall.
He said “Excuse me” to my mother
He had good reason to make this call.
The smell of her spaghetti
Had wafted to his lofty drey;
He was tired of eating acorns
And asked if he might stay.
My mother, as you might imagine,
Set a place and pulled up a seat.
She scooped a plate of sauce and noodles
And said, “Welcome.” And, “Let’s eat.”
His manners were impeccable.
His conversation: a delight.
He slurped his noodles heartily
Then wished us all “Good night.”
Now whenever mom makes spaghetti
We set a plate for “just in case”
Our noodle-loving squirrely friend
Pokes through our wall and begs a taste.
Looking for other examples of poetry for children? Check out this resource about creating a unit study about poetry. Or, check out this poem I wrote about spiders!
Alternately, if you’re looking for extra squirrely content, check out Mark Rober’s videos with squirrel obstacle courses. We love watching these!
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