By Margaret A. Savage
The day when the world
turned upside down:
when a frown became a smile
and a smile became a frown.
When the mice chased the cats
the cats chased the dogs.
The dogs laughed out loud
at the pink and yellow frogs.
When you went to bed in the daytime
and got up at night.
When birds caught the school bus
and the cows took flight.
When the moon came out
in the middle of the day
and all of the ocean’s fish
rolled around in the hay.
When the children ruled the world
and ice cream was for free
and the elephants shrank
to the size of a flea.
When the grass rained lollipops
up to the sky.
When you wanted to laugh
but could only cry.
When magic beans were real
and giants very small,
you would eat spiders legs
so you could creep up the wall.
This all happened when the
world turned upside down
after I went to bed
with a smile – not a frown.
A) Discussion Points
- Do you like this poem?
- What are three things you like about this poem?
- Is it possible to turn the world upside down?
- If it were possible, how would YOU turn the world upside down?
- Would you want to turn the world upside down?
- What would you change about your life if you did?
- What would you change about the world if you did?
- Which lines of the poem resonate with you?
B) The pattern of rhymes in a poem is written with the letter a, b, c, d, etc. The first set of lines that rhyme at the end are marked with ‘a.’ The second set are marked with ‘b.’ In a poem with the rhyme scheme ‘abcb,’ the second line rhymes with the fourth line, but the first and third lines don’t rhyme with each other.
The poem above is an example of an ‘abcb’ poem. Here is another example of an abcb rhyme scheme:
The itsy bitsy spider
Went up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
C) Write a poem of your own. You can make it a rhyming poem if you wish. You can use the following ideas:
- A vivid memory. Choose six words that describe the sights, smells, and feelings of that memory. These words will help you write the poem.
- What is your favourite time of year? Make a list of words you strongly associate with that season. Use this list to get ideas for your poem.
- Name your favourite festival. Write down a few words that you associate with the festival. Now write a short poem using these words.
Audio courtesy Tara Kriplani