My Mother Said to Clean My Room

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My Mother Said to Clean My Room by Kenn Nesbitt

My mother said to clean my room,
and so I went and found the broom.
I also got a cleaning rag,
and, for my trash, a garbage bag.

Then, next, I went and grabbed the mop
and filled a bucket to the top.
I got a scrubber and a sponge
to wipe the grime and scrub the grunge.

I found some soap and cleaning spray
to wipe the dirt and dust away,
some window cleaner for the glass
and polish made for shining brass.

I plugged the vacuum cleaner in.
I got a liner for the bin,
a roll of paper towels too,
and, for my carpet, rug shampoo.

But gathering the things required
to clean my room has left me tired.
And so I went to mom to say,
“I’ll clean my room some other day.”

— Kenn Nesbitt

Reading Level: Grade 4

Topics: Poems about Friends and Family

Poetic Techniques: Irony, List Poems, Narrative Poems

From the book A Festival for Frogs

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