Peter Prim the Fire-Eater
From the book My Hippo Has the Hiccups
Peter Prim the fire-eater
ate a propane camping heater,
followed by a butane lighter,
and a barbecue igniter.
Next he drank some gasoline,
and a quart of kerosene
(or perhaps it was a liter;
no one knows for sure but Peter).
Last, to finish off the batch
Peter ate a flaming match.
Bits of Peter Prim, they say,
lit a half a mile away
(or perhaps a kilometer;
who’s to say except for Peter?).
Nothing more was seen of him.
Rest in pieces, Peter Prim.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 6
Topics: Circus, Poems about Kooky Characters
Poetic Techniques: Hyperbole, Narrative Poems
From the book My Hippo Has the Hiccups
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