Category: Podcast

The Man from Timbuktu

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I’ll tell you of a man I knew
who claimed he came from Timbuktu.
He said, “I have the world to see!”
So off he went to Timbukthree.
Then Timbukfour and Timbukfive
were where he seemed to come alive.

He went to Timbuksix and -seven,
and Timbukeight, -nine, -ten, -eleven.
Then Timbuktwelve and -thirteen too,
he liked them more than Timbuktu.
The last I heard, he’s doing fine.
He lives in Timbukninetynine.

So, kids, if all you ever do
is take a trip to Timbuktu,
at least you’ll have a lot more fun
than staying home in Timbukone.
But if you have the world to see…
continue on to Timbukthree.

–Kenn Nesbitt

I Ran for the Chapstick

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I ran for the Chapstick mom keeps in her purse.
My lips were so chapped that they couldn’t feel worse!
I dug through her handbag and pulled it out quickly,
then sighed in relief as I smeared it on thickly.
I felt so much better I almost rejoiced.
My painful, dry lips were now mended and moist.
My dad burst out laughing. My mom looked amused.
Her Chapstick was lost. That was lipstick I’d used.

–Kenn Nesbitt

Belinda’s an Expert at Bathing

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Belinda’s an expert at bathing.
She loves to swim laps in the tub.
She’s clever at cleaning her kneecaps
and giving her elbows a scrub.

She often makes beards out of bubbles,
then puts on a play with her toys.
She practices splashing and shouting
and filling the bathroom with noise.

She’s mastered the use of the loofa,
the sponge, and the body puff too.
She’s truly a wiz with a washcloth.
She’s skillful at using shampoo.

Belinda’s so good in the bathtub,
just ask her; she’ll probably say
she’s planning to grow up to be
a professional bathlete someday.

–Kenn Nesbitt

Auntie Gravity

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My sweet old Auntie Gravity
bakes all the lightest cakes.
Her “Secret X” ingredient
is all it ever takes.

A single splash of Secret X
provides her pies a lift.
A smidgen more and suddenly
her doughnuts are adrift.

A pinch upon her pancakes
and they rise above the plate.
A dash will make her danishes
begin to levitate.

Her muffins start to hover
from the tiniest of specks.
Her bagels float and flutter
when she uses Secret X.

But, sadly, Auntie Gravity
is known to make mistakes,
and may have used a bit too much
in several pies and cakes.

She ate a plate of chocolate cake
and tried a slice of mince.
I miss my Auntie Gravity;
we haven’t seen her since.

–Kenn Nesbitt

Brand New Shoes

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I bought a brand new pair of shoes.
You simply have to see.
They’re purple, pink, and pretty.
They’re as lovely as can be.

They’re topped with silver sparkles,
so they shimmer in the sun.
They’re awesome when I’m walking
and they’re stunning when I run.

The laces look like rainbows
and the backs have flashing lights.
The sides are lined with lightning bolts.
They’re such amazing sights.

But now my friends avoid me
when they see me on the street.
Indeed, my shoes are pretty
but they smell like stinky feet.

–Kenn Nesbitt

I Only Like People Exactly Like Me

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I only like people exactly like me.
I never like people like you.
I’m not fond of people like him or like her.
I dislike all those people too.

The people I like are like me to a tee.
They look and they sound like me too.
They talk like I talk, and they dress like I dress,
and, clearly, they do what I do.

You probably think that I’m picky and rude.
You may think I’m sad and alone.
And normally you would be perfectly right,
but, lucky for me, I’m a clone.

–Kenn Nesbitt

When Daniel Went Dancing

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When Daniel went dancing that night at the fair
he leapt on the stage with his arms in the air.
He ran back and forth at a neck-breaking pace,
then back-flipped and cartwheeled all over the place.
He jumped like a jumping bean, bounced like a ball,
careened off the ceiling, and ran down the wall.
He flew through the room with an ear-splitting scream
till, shaking and sobbing, he ran out of steam.
The witnesses watching could see at a glance
that Dan had invented some new kind of dance.
They cheered and applauded. They gave him First Prize.
They cried, “You’re a genius in all of our eyes!”
So now, just like Daniel, from Finland to France
they sit on a cactus to start every dance.

–Kenn Nesbitt

An Interview with Steven Withrow

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Steven Withrow

Children’s Poet and Poetry Advocate, Steven Withrow

Steven Withrow is the founder of Poetry Advocates for Children and Young Adults (PACYA), a children’s poet, filmmaker, and all around talented man.

His poems have appeared most recently in two volumes of the Poetry Tag Time series, edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.

I had the chance to interview Steven recently about PACYA. you can listen to our conversation, and hear Steven recite a couple of his own poems, here.

You can also find Steven on the Internet at the following websites:

Poetry Advocates – https://www.poetryatplay.org
Library of the Early Mind – https://www.libraryoftheearlymind.com
Crackles of Speech – https://cracklesofspeech.blogspot.com