Sylvester the Strongman
Sylvester the Strongman was strong as an ox.
He hoisted the heaviest barbells and rocks.
He’d lift up a luggage set loaded with lead
and elevate elephants over his head.
He’d never lift anything less than a ton.
He’d shoulder a Ford or a Chevy for fun.
Well one day Sylvester was feeling so bold
he said “I will show you a sight to behold!”
He raised up a railroad engine and sniffed,
“I wish I could find something HEAVY to lift.”
He stood there a moment, conceited and smug,
then Strong-Man Sylvester was crushed like a bug.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 4
Topics: Circus, Poems about Kooky Characters
Poetic Techniques: Alliteration, Hyperbole, Imagery, Irony, Narrative Poems, Superlatives
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