Spring Morning
Where am I going? I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow-
Up on the hill where the pine-tress blow-
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.
Where am I going? The clouds sail by,
Little ones, baby ones, over the sky.
Where am I going? The shadows pass,
Little ones, baby ones, over the grass.
If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,
You'd sail on water as blue as air,
And you'd see me here in the fields and say:
"Doesn't the sky look green today?'
Where am I going? The high rooks call:
"It's awful fun to be born at all."
Where am I going? The ring-doves coo:
"We do have beautiful things to do."
If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You'd lean on the wind when the wind came by,
You'd say to the wind when it took you away:
"That's where I wanted to go today!"
Where am I going? I don't quite know.
What does it matter where people go?
Down in the wood where the blue-bells grow-
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.
A. A. Milne, 1924
I want to remember that thought process, and make sure my children are allowed to enjoy it. Right now, they do not have to have a plan. They do not have to have a goal. They can lean on the wind, and go where it takes them. Anywhere.... anywhere.
8 comments:
I love reading poetry to children! And, I love this poem, so carefree and inspirational.
We had a "baby einsteins" board book of poetry that was very cute and the kids loved hearing those. It is a nice change from a story.
Also, Shel Silverstein, in my opinion, is a little too "old" for our kids yet....for the most part anyway.
I say that because he relies on humor that mine don't "get" yet. I would say he is better for 3-5th grades.
Okay, so I have no idea where I got the idea to comment about Shel Silverstein. For some reason I thought you mentioned him in your post. Don't ask me, I must have just totally imagined it....sorry!
Carrie.. you crack me up!
I really like that poem! We always read Mother Goose.
Hey Bethany, and Carrie too (!!) Any thoughts on Shel Silverstein's Runny Babbit? It's not quite as...Shel Silverstein...as the rest of his books, just really funny and silly sounding when read aloud. I also read Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses when I was small, but I can't remember what age, I was a total dork, and also a girl (so boys may completely hate it). ;)
I think I vaguely remember reading Runny Babbit at some point, but do not remember much about it. I NEVER read "poetry" until it was introduced to me at school....I guess my parents weren't big poetry people except for Dr. Seuss books, which I don't really think qualify as "poetry." They are more just rhyming stories...I don't think that simply rhyming makes something a poem...
I remember memorizing "The Owl and the Pussycat" when I was in...3rd grade maybe? Can't remember, but memorizing poetry is a good thing to do as a child...I believe it increases vocabulary and thought processing skills. I tried doing it with Katie and Noah this year with the Abeka "Kindergarten Poetry" and they were doing well with it, but I quit. lol. Oh well. Katie was enjoying it, Noah didn't understand it really....but a good thing to expose them to...."recitation" is an old study that should never have gone away!
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