Welcome to today’s episode! I’m excited to share one of my favorite types of poems with you—those that play with idioms. Idioms are fun expressions that mean something different from the literal meanings of the words. For example, if I say “it’s raining cats and dogs,” I don’t mean actual pets are falling from the sky! I just mean that it is raining really, really hard.
In this poem, I’ve taken an idiom and explored both its figurative meaning and its literal meaning in a playful way. This particular poem is about the turn of the seasons from summer to fall. As you listen, see if you can spot the idiom and enjoy the clever twist at the end. I hope this poem brings a smile to your face and maybe even makes you think differently about everyday phrases. Now, let’s dive into “The Summer’s Nearly Over.”
The Summer’s Nearly Over
The summer’s nearly over and
the autumn’s coming soon
so I put a pair of pennies
in a helium balloon.
I also took a nickel
and attached it to my drone
and a dime went on a Frisbee
that I hadn’t ever thrown.
I made a paper airplane and
I used some glue and strings
to attach a couple quarters on
the paper airplane’s wings.
I found a fifty-cent piece and
I tied it to my kite,
then I took them to the park today
and launched them all in flight.
I thought I ought to tell you so
that you would be aware
that the summer’s nearly over now
and change is in the air.
— Kenn Nesbitt
