Simply Blessed

[Image from the Japanese anime film: Grave of the Fireflies]

This is one of my favorite children’s poems below.  I borrowed a line from it just after we moved to our present home outside of Seattle.  Everything had been unpacked, furniture arranged, pictures hung.  I sat down to write from that place of contented completion with “every little nail asleep in the wall”.  And then following that are a few more of my favorite children’s poems including my all time favorite: Firefly.  These all are taken out of a book entitled: Poems and Prayers For The Very Young, selected and illustrated by Martha Alexander.

Sleepy Song

Every little nail
Asleep in the wall,
Every little lamb
Asleep in the stall,
Every little flower
Asleep in the dew,
Oh, my little darling,
Go to sleep, too!
Oh, my little darling,
Go to sleep, too!

~Arthur Guiterman~

Singing-Time

I wake in the morning early
and always, the very first thing,
I poke out my head and I sit up in bed
And I sing and I sing and I sing.

~Rose Fyleman~

Firefly

A little light is going by,
Is going up to see the sky,
A little light with wings.

I never could have thought of it,
To have a little bug all lit
and made to go on wings.

~Elizabeth Madox Roberts~

A Kite

I often sit and wish that I
Could be a kite up in the sky,
And ride upon the breeze and go
Whichever way I chanced to blow.

~Unknown~

The Sun

I told the sun that I was glad
I’m sure I don’t know why;
somehow the pleasant way he had
Of shining in the sky,
Just put a notion in my head
That wouldn’t it be fun
If, walking on the hill, I said
“I’m happy” to the sun.

~John Drinkwater~

Who Has Seen The Wind?

Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

~Christina G. Rossetti~