Lost Inside a Labyrinth
A Funny Maze Poem for Kids
From the book A Festival for Frogs
I’m lost inside a labyrinth.
I’m stuck inside a maze.
I’m not sure how it happened but
I’ve been in here for days.
I should have paid attention
when I took that fateful turn
and stepped in absent-mindedly
without the least concern.
You see, what I had thought would be
an ordinary hike
is now a maze of twisty little
tunnels, all alike.
I’m looking left. I’m looking right.
I’m staring straight ahead,
but can’t decide which path to take.
It’s filling me with dread.
I’ve tried to find some kind of sign
that shows which way to go.
And, now that I’ve run into you,
I wonder if you know?
If we just work together,
I expect we’ll be okay.
So, if you have a moment,
won’t you help me find the way?
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 3
Topics: Imaginary Poems, Wacky Weirdness
Poetic Techniques: Alliteration, Assonance, Imagery, Lyric & Dramatic Poems
About This Poem
Feel free to print this page and see if you can solve the maze.
I’m a big fan of Joe Wos, the Emmy-nominated host of Cartoon Academy on WQED/PBS and the creator of the daily syndicated comic strip, MazeToons, and the author of a dozen books, including A-Maze-Ing Peanuts, featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole Peanuts gang. Joe has been a professional cartoonist since the age of 14 and has been “tooning” for more than 35 years.
I had the great pleasure of meeting Joe at a children’s book festival in Pennsylvania a few years ago. Ever since, we have discussed a possible collaboration. When I started writing this poem about being stuck in a maze, my first thought was that I should ask Joe to create the illustration for it. I was thrilled when he said yes!
If you like mazes as much as I do, look for Joe’s work in the funny pages of your local newspaper, visit his website, or follow him on Instagram for more of his “A-Maze-Ing” creations.
From the book A Festival for Frogs
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