Margaret Wise Brown

"Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery - it's the sincerest 

form of learning."— George Bernard Shaw

Welcome to Day 24 of FEET IN THE CREEK.

Week 4 poets:
April 22: Lee Bennett Hopkins
April 23: Langston Hughes

For each day I have chosen a favorite poem, a favorite poet, or a favorite friend. I will look at the work, decide what draws me to it, what makes it resonate for me, and then write my own poem about the creek with those techniques in mind. These are first drafts, so nothing will be especially polished, but they will be starting points for revision after the month is done. Feel free to follow along or join in.

Today's poet is Margaret Wise Brown who wrote over a hundred books for children, including The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon. You may enjoy reading this article, "Discovering the Unexpected: The Margaret Wise Brown Collection at Wyndham Robertson Library, Hollins University" by Beth S. Harris. And if you're anywhere near Roanoke, Virginia, what an amazing field trip this would make! Click here for the story behind Goodnight Songs.






The Secret Song
by Margaret Wise Brown

Who saw the petals
   drop from the rose?
I, said the spider,
But nobody knows.

Who saw the sunset
   flash on a bird?
I, said the fish,
But nobody heard.

Who saw the fog
   come over the sea?
I, said the sea pigeon,
Only me.

Who saw the first
   green light of the sun?
I, said the night owl,
The only one.

Who saw the moss
   creep over the stone?
I, said the gray fox,
All alone.

My Intention: Write a question/answer poem with a soft dactylic (/uu) rhythm.


Fishing Song

Who saw me tiptoeing
down to the creek?
Only the turtle, but
he doesn't speak.

Who saw me choosing
a long, narrow stick?
The bluebirds all saw,
but they flew away quick.

Who saw me drawing
the string from my pocket?
A gray squirrel saw and took
off like a rocket.

Who saw me tying
the stick with my string?
The chipmunk was watching
but won't say a thing.

Who saw me pulling
a worm from the ground?
The worm saw, of course,
but he made no sound.

Who saw me tossing
my line in the brook?
Maybe a fish who will
chomp on my hook.

© Doraine Bennett, 2016. All rights reserved.

Week 1 poets:
April 1: Ralph Fletcher
April 2: Douglas Florian
April 3: Progressive poem. Catch up here.
April 4: Michelle Heidenrich Barnes
April 5: Walt Whitman
April 6: Irene Latham
April 7: Carmen Bernos de Gasztold

Week 2 Poets:
April 8: Janet Wong
April 9: George Ella Lyon
April 10: Bobbi Katz
April 11: Nikki Giovanni
April 12: Margarita Engle
April 13: Mother Goose
April 14: William Carlos Williams

Week 3 Poets:
April 15: Myra Cohn Livingston
April 16: Mary Ann Doberman
April 17: Christina Rosetti
April 18: Rebecca Kai Doltish
April 19: Wallace Stevens
April 20: April Halprin Wayland
April 21: Robyn Hood Black