Elaine the Complainer
From the book The Elephant Repairman
My name is Elaine
and I like to complain.
Complaining is all that I do.
I moan when it’s hot
and I groan when it’s not.
I whine when the sky is too blue.
I fuss that the food
on my plate must be chewed.
I whimper whenever I clean.
I frequently fret
if my bath gets me wet.
I gripe if the grass is too green.
I act like my brain
is in terrible pain
when people are being polite.
But then, if they’re rude,
it will ruin my mood;
I’ll grumble and mumble all night.
But though I delight
in complaining all night,
there’s one thing I simply can’t see.
I don’t understand
(since I’m clearly so grand)
why people complain about me.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 3
Topics: Poems about Kooky Characters
Poetic Techniques: Alliteration, Assonance, Irony, Lyric & Dramatic Poems, Rhyme Schemes
Word Count: 128
From the book The Elephant Repairman
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