Poetry Beat  1 of 13© 2009 Scholastic Canada Ltd. V001

Rhythm and Rhyme

Poetry Beat

Eyeglasses

By Charise Mericle Harper

2

4By Jane Yolen

6By Gordon Korman and Bernice Korman

By Langston Hughes9

10I Am a CanadianBy Duke Redbird

Poetry Beat  2 of 13

Illus

trat

ion

by M

arth

a N

ewbi

ggin

g

Eyeglasses

By Charise Mericle Harper

Silvano couldn’t see that well,although he wasn’t blind.He had a lot of troublefinding things not hard to find.

He lost his pants, his socks, his shirt—he even lost his dog.He said, “I’ve got to fix my eyesand clear away this fog.”

From

IMAG

INAT

IVE

INVE

NTI

ON

S b

y C

HAR

ISE

MER

ICLE

HAR

PER

. C

opyr

ight

© 2

00

1 b

y

Cha

rise

Mer

icle

Har

per.

By

perm

issi

on o

f LI

TTLE

, BR

OW

N &

CO

MPA

NY.

Poetry Beat  3 of 13

One day in the year 1280while drinking from a glass, he was looking through the bottomwhen he said, “I see at last.”

So he made two discs of finest glass.He made them thick and round.He held them right up to his eyesand this is what he found.

“My pants, my socks, my shirt!” he cried.His heart was filled with glee, and there right by his favorite chair,his dog scratching a flea.

He made a fine contraption.It was a brilliant scheme.He used the top of his noseas a glasses balance beam.

Poetry Beat  4 of 13

By Jane Yolen

What is it about homeworkThat makes me want to writeMy Great Aunt Myrt to thank her forThe sweater that’s too tight?

What is it about homeworkThat makes me pick up socksThat stink from days and days of wear,Then clean the litter box?

Cop

yrig

ht ©

1981 b

y Ja

ne Y

olen

. Fi

rst

Publ

ishe

d B

reak

fast

, Boo

ks &

Dre

ams,

pub

lishe

d by

New

Yor

k W

arne

. R

eprin

ted

by p

erm

issi

on o

f C

urtis

Bro

wn,

Ltd

.

Illus

trat

ions

by

Boj

an R

edži

c

Poetry Beat  5 of 13

What is it about homeworkThat makes me volunteerTo take the garbage out beforeThe bugs and flies appear?

What is it about homeworkThat makes me wash my hairAnd take an hour combing outThe snags and tangles there?

What is it about homework?You know, I wish I knew,‘Cause nights when I’ve got homeworkI’ve got much too much to do!

Poetry Beat  6 of 13

I’m not a real big hockey fan,I think it’s kind of phoney.It would be better if they playedAlong with the Zamboni.

Just think of the tremendous boostThat it would give a team,To have that big ZamboniBearing down the ice full steam.

Illus

trat

ions

by

Chr

is J

ones

Copyright © 1996 by Gordon Korman and Bernice Korman. First Published The Last-Place Sports Poems of Jeremy Bloom, published by Scholastic, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

By Gordon Korman and Bernice Korman

Poetry Beat  7 of 13

It really seems insane to meFor every game to startWith someone driving off the iceThe most exciting part!

Those pampered, stuck-up superstarsWho think that they’re in clover,Will make their fancy moves whileTrying not to get run over.

And all the big defensemen,So rough and tough and mean,Let’s see them try to bodycheckA seven-ton machine.

They’ll play Zamboni bumper cars,The action will be hot;We’ll see the evolution of The new Zamboni-shot.

The NHL will honor me.They’ll see that it’s baloneyTo try to play a hockey gameExcluding the Zamboni!

Poetry Beat  8 of 13

Poetry Beat  9 of 13

To fling my arms wideIn some place of the sun,To whirl and to danceTill the white day is done.Then rest at cool eveningBeneath a tall treeWhile night comes on gently, Dark like me—That is my dream!

To fling my arms wideIn the face of the sun,Dance! Whirl! Whirl!Till the quick day is done.Rest at pale evening…A tall, slim tree…Night coming tenderly Black like me.

By Langston Hughes

From

The

Ent

ranc

e Pl

ace

of W

onde

rs: P

oem

s of

the

Har

lem

Ren

aiss

ance

©

20

06

, Edi

ted

by D

aphn

e M

use,

Illu

stra

tions

fro

m C

harlo

tte

Rile

y-W

ebb.

Publ

ishe

d by

Har

ry N

. Ab

ram

s, In

c., N

ew Y

ork.

All

Rig

hts

Res

erve

d.

Poetry Beat  10 of 13

By Duke Redbird

I Am a Canadian

I’m a lobster fisherman in NewfoundlandI’m a clambake in P.E.I.I’m a picnic, I’m a banquetI’m mother’s homemade pieI’m a few laughs in a Legion hall in FrederictonI’m a kite-flyer in a field in MonctonI’m a nap on the porch after a hard day’s workIs done.I’m a snowball fight in Truro, Nova ScotiaI’m small kids playing jacks and skipping ropeI’m a mother who lost a son in the last great warAnd I’m a bride with a brand new ring and a chest of hope

Illus

trat

ions

by

Ben

Hod

son

“I Am a Canadian” Copyright © by Duke Redbird.

Poetry Beat  11 of 13

I’m an EasternerI’m a WesternerI’m from the NorthAnd I’m from the SouthI’ve swum in two big oceansAnd I’ve loved them bothI’m a clown in Quebec during carnivalI’m a mass in the Cathedral of St. PaulI’m a hockey game in the ForumI’m Rocket Richard and Jean BeliveauI’m a coach for little league ExposI’m a baby-sitter for sleep-defying rascals

Poetry Beat  12 of 13

I’m a canoe trip down the OttawaI’m a holiday on the TrentI’m a mortgage, I’m a loanI’m last week’s unpaid rentI’m Yorkville after darkI’m a walk in the parkI’m Winnipeg gold-eyeI’m a hand-made trout flyI’m a wheat field and a sunsetUnder a prairie skyI’m Sir John A. MacDonaldI’m Alexander Graham BellI’m a pow-wow dancerAnd I’m Louis RielI’m the Calgary StampedeI’m a feathered SarceeI’m Edmonton at nightI’m the Northern Lights

Poetry Beat  13 of 13

I’m a rigger, I’m a catI’m a ten-gallon hatAnd an unnamed mountain inthe interior of B.C.I’m a maple tree and a totem poleI’m sunshine showersAnd fresh-cut flowersI’m a ferry boat ride to the IslandI’m the YukonI’m the Northwest TerritoriesI’m the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort SeaI’m the prairies, I’m the Great Lakes,I’m the Rockies, I’m the Laurentians,I am FrenchI am EnglishI am MétisBut more than thisAbove all thisI am a Canadian and proud to be free.