April 9, 2015
Dear Subscriber:
This week’s poem of the week is a poem for children about the secret of happiness.
You can hear me read the poem and listen to the music for it at my site by going to http://www.poemsforfree/week.html.
Yours,
Nick Gordon
THE GLAD/SAD/SCARED/MAD MENU
Little Jackie in the playground
Wanted to go home.
All her friends were somewhere else,
And she was all alone.
Her mother said that she should play,
But on what? And with whom?
She was sad, and she was mad,
And she was full of gloom.
Her mother said, “Why don't you ask
Someone to play with you?”
But little Jackie was too scared
To talk to someone new.
Then a little bee buzzed by
And noticed her distress,
And said, “Dear Jackie, don't you know
The trick of happiness?
“Life is like a menu from which
You can pick your mood.
Glad, sad, scared, or mad –
It's like choosing food!”
Then the little bee buzzed off,
And Jackie thought awhile.
If life was like a menu, well,
Then she would choose to smile.
And as she smiled, her world was lit
By her inner sun.
And by herself, all by herself,
She was having fun!
She swung on swings and slid down slides
With friends she never knew --
A porcupine, a panda, and
A passing kangaroo.
She raced around with teddy bears
And an orangutan.
And as she played, she sang a song,
And this is what she sang:
Life is like a menu from which
You can pick your mood.
Glad, sad, scared, or mad –
It's like choosing food!
Then a little girl came by,
And Jackie said, “Hello!
Would you like to play with me?”
The little girl said, “No.”
“OK,” said Jackie. “That's OK.”
And sang the menu song.
The little girl said, “Do you mind
If I sing along?”
“Oh, please!” said Jackie. “Sing with me!
Together we can sing
The menu song, and see what fun
Being friends can bring.”
And so they sang the song together,
Choosing to be glad,
Unafraid to make a friend,
No longer mad or sad.
Pick your mood and sing, dear friends,
Sing little Jackie's song!
Choose glad, not sad, or scared, or mad,
And then just sing along!
Life is like a menu from which
You can pick your mood.
Glad, sad, scared, or mad –
It's like choosing food!
© by Nicholas Gordon
Watch me recite the poem on YouTube at https://youtu.be/KhhxqIO4cpE.
Dear Subscriber:
This week’s poem of the week is a poem for children about the secret of happiness.
You can hear me read the poem and listen to the music for it at my site by going to http://www.poemsforfree/week.html.
Yours,
Nick Gordon
THE GLAD/SAD/SCARED/MAD MENU
Little Jackie in the playground
Wanted to go home.
All her friends were somewhere else,
And she was all alone.
Her mother said that she should play,
But on what? And with whom?
She was sad, and she was mad,
And she was full of gloom.
Her mother said, “Why don't you ask
Someone to play with you?”
But little Jackie was too scared
To talk to someone new.
Then a little bee buzzed by
And noticed her distress,
And said, “Dear Jackie, don't you know
The trick of happiness?
“Life is like a menu from which
You can pick your mood.
Glad, sad, scared, or mad –
It's like choosing food!”
Then the little bee buzzed off,
And Jackie thought awhile.
If life was like a menu, well,
Then she would choose to smile.
And as she smiled, her world was lit
By her inner sun.
And by herself, all by herself,
She was having fun!
She swung on swings and slid down slides
With friends she never knew --
A porcupine, a panda, and
A passing kangaroo.
She raced around with teddy bears
And an orangutan.
And as she played, she sang a song,
And this is what she sang:
Life is like a menu from which
You can pick your mood.
Glad, sad, scared, or mad –
It's like choosing food!
Then a little girl came by,
And Jackie said, “Hello!
Would you like to play with me?”
The little girl said, “No.”
“OK,” said Jackie. “That's OK.”
And sang the menu song.
The little girl said, “Do you mind
If I sing along?”
“Oh, please!” said Jackie. “Sing with me!
Together we can sing
The menu song, and see what fun
Being friends can bring.”
And so they sang the song together,
Choosing to be glad,
Unafraid to make a friend,
No longer mad or sad.
Pick your mood and sing, dear friends,
Sing little Jackie's song!
Choose glad, not sad, or scared, or mad,
And then just sing along!
Life is like a menu from which
You can pick your mood.
Glad, sad, scared, or mad –
It's like choosing food!
© by Nicholas Gordon
Watch me recite the poem on YouTube at https://youtu.be/KhhxqIO4cpE.
