Today’s elf assistants are dear to my heart—my grand niece Lucy, aged 12, and my grand nephew Gus, aged 10. You’ll have to take my word for it that these are two funny, charming, sweet-hearted kids, but you can see for yourselves, from their selections and the very fact that they took up this challenge, that they are grand in every sense.
Thanks to Lucy for choosing an Emily Dickinson poem. I often avoid Dickinson because I think she’s difficult to understand. Lucy made me remember how I used to love Dickinson, before I got intimidated by her, for her thrilling descriptions of nature. . . the lightning skipped like mice. . . Great job, Lucy!
Respite
by Emily Dickinson
The clouds their backs together laid,
The north begun to push,
The forests galloped till they fell,
The lightning skipped like mice ;
The thunder crumbled like a stuff—
How good to be safe in tombs,
Where nature’s temper cannont reach,
Nor vengeance ever come !
Hi! My name is Lucy and here I have attached my poem picture! I choose a poem by Emily Dickinson and it is about her describing a storm. Since it was sunny outside I tried to find a place to put it that it was in the shade, so that it looked like a storm was coming. I choose this poem because I have read it before and then when I saw that I could take a picture for this little challenge I had a great photo idea. I think that this was such a cool idea, so thank you!
—Lucy
[If you are wondering why my young relative felt it necessary to introduce herself to me. . . cute story from my niece, her mother:
So I had to laugh. Lucy had me read her very formal email before she sent it and I said “Lucy, you know who Poem Elf is, right? It’s Aunt Maggie.” and she thought I was kidding😉 took a lot to convince to her! ]
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Gus may have chosen the perfect coronavirus poem. Don’t sneeze indeed! And a very clever placement. Way to go, Gus!
The Acrobats
by Shel Silverstein
I’ll swing
By my ankles,
She’ll cling
To your knees
As you hang
By your nose
From a high-up
Trapeze.
Just one thing, please,
As we float through the breeze—
Don’t sneeze.
I put the poem on the monkey bars. I chose it because it was funny, and I chose to put it on the monkey bars because it is about acrobats. —Gus
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NOTE: Still accepting submissions for my 10-year collaboration project. Send your pictures to thepoemelf@gmail.com.
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