I Had a Little Secret
From the book My Cat Knows Karate
I had a little secret
and I told a friend of mine.
I made her promise not to tell.
I thought it would be fine.
But then she told somebody else
and they told someone too.
Then each of them told others,
and it grew, and grew, and grew.
Then someone posted it online.
It blossomed like a spiral.
The next thing that I knew,
my secret went completely viral.
It made the rounds on Instagram,
YouTube, and Twitter too.
It wasn’t very long at all
till everybody knew.
So now my secret’s everywhere
for all the world to see.
I’m guessing that’s the last one
that you’ll ever share with me.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 2
Topics: Poems about Friends and Family, Science and Technology Poems
Poetic Techniques: Metaphor and Simile, Narrative Poems
About This Poem
Have you ever heard a secret that was so good you just had to share it with someone else? What could possibly go wrong? This poem imagines the worst possible outcome. The person you tell the secret to not only doesn't keep it to themselves, but ends up sharing it with lots of other people, who share it online, until eventually the whole world knows. But what if you weren't supposed to tell anyone? Chances are you'll never be trusted with a secret again. I suppose it's best to keep your word when you promise not to tell.
From the book My Cat Knows Karate
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