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Charles Ghigna - Father Goose®

the author of more than 100 award-winning books from Random House, Disney, Hyperion, Time Inc.,

Scholastic, Simon & Schuser, Capstone, Boyds Mills, Abrams, Orca, Charlesbridge and other publishers.

WHAT'S A POEM? Poems About Poetry for Children




You are a poet! You see the world in your own special way every day. Whenever you look up at the clouds and see long tail dragons and sailing ships you are a poet. When you tell others about your visions and dreams you are a poet. You are a poet whenever you tell the world who you are, what you think, and how you feel. Finding poetry in the world and sharing it makes us all feel alive. It fills us with hope and wonder. It celebrates life. It shines light into the corners of the world and turns the overlooked and the common into little gems to behold.

Poetry is everywhere! It’s in the smile of a friend and in the sound of the wind. It’s in the scent of the meadow and in the skyline of the city. It’s in the setting sun as she pulls her purple curtain across the backdrop of the world. Poetry is music, theater, dance, art and literature. Poetry is winter, spring, summer, and fall. Poetry is laughter and tears, faith and fears. Poetry is life!

Poets like to compare one thing to another, but have you ever thought about comparing a poem itself to something else? It’s fun! Try it. Read through a few of these and see what you think. You’ll soon be comparing poems to everything -- and anything! You might even get carried away like I did and find yourself writing a whole book of them!

Come join me now as we stroll along this little path of poetry to see where it might lead. Please take your time. No need to rush. There’s so much to see, so much to imagine, so much to dream!

* * *


What's A Poem?

A whisper,
a shout,
thoughts turned

inside out.

A laugh,
a sigh,
an echo
passing by.

A rhythm,
a rhyme,
a moment
caught in time.

A moon,
a star,
a glimpse
of who you are.


* * *

A Poem is a Spider Web

A poem is a spider web
Spun with words of wonder,
Woven lace held in place
By whispers made of thunder.


* * *

A Poem is a Firefly

A poem is a firefly
Upon the summer wind.
Instead of shining where it goes,
It lights up where it's been.


* * *

A Poem is a Painting

A poem is a painting,
A masterpiece you’ll find
Hanging on display inside
The gallery of your mind.


* * *

A Poem is a Fisherman

A poem is a fisherman
Whose lure he must confess
Is casting lines within his own
Stream of consciousness.


* * *

A Poem is a Busy Bee

A poem is a busy bee
Buzzing in your head.
His hive is full of hidden thoughts
Waiting to be said.

His honey comes from your ideas
That he makes into rhyme.
He flies around looking for
What goes on in your mind.

When it's time to let him out
To make some poetry,
He gathers up your secret thoughts
And then he sets them free!


* * *

A Poem is a Little Path

A poem is a little path
That leads you through the trees.
It takes you to the cliffs and shores,
To anywhere you please.

Follow it and trust your way
With mind and heart as one,
And when the journey’s over,
You’ll find you’ve just begun.


* * *
© Charles Ghigna

6 comments:

Linda said...

Hi Charles, I love this poetry exercise and plan to try it with my students when we return to school. I even tried to write a few of my own, but they definitely need polish!
I posted one for Poetry Friday and linked to your blog so others could try this fun activity.

laurasalas said...

Love these, Charles! Especially the spiderweb one. Whispers made of thunder--that totally captures poetry for me.

Anonymous said...

I loved it! These poems were perfect to get my students started with poetry for our poetry unit!

Anonymous said...


I am a student and I loved these poems

Unknown said...

w o w

Unknown said...

Beautifully written, I am a grade 6 student currently learning about poetry. These poems helped me understand what poetry really is. I have written a few poems of my own, they were kind of sad though. These are a m a z i n g they really are. Thank you for these!