So, Flannery has been learning poetry and Bible verses - one a week. I thought I'd post each week's poem and verse to give you faithful and devoted grandparents an idea of what she's learning. Feel free to quiz her the next time you're on the phone with her.
This week: Proverbs 14:27 and "Routine" by Arther Guiterman
Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life that one may avoid the snares of death.
Routine
No matter what we are and who,
Some duties everyone must do:
The poet puts aside his wreath
To wash his face and brush his teeth,
And even Earls
Must comb their curls,
And even Kings
Have underthings.
~Arthur Guiterman
Flannery's crowning poetry achievement so far happened last week with the poem "Train Song" by Diane Siebert. It was waaaaay long but she learned it to recite for her Papa and she did a fantastic job. It's long, so feel free to skip it, but, again, I thought you grandparents would particularly enjoy it. It's meant to be read outloud and the rhythms mimic the sounds a train makes as it goes by. I also just discovered that the version that I have is abridged. So there's more to it than what's below, but this is what she learned.
Train Song
Out in back
railroad track
clickety-clack
clickety-clack
great trains
freight trains
talk about your late trains
the 509
right on time
straight through to L.A.
whistle blows
there she goes
slicing through the day.
Trains with faces in a row
going places: Buffalo
New York City, Boston, Mass.
slowing 'neath the underpass
engineers in striped hats
head-of-the-line aristocrats
up in front, sitting high
wave at me as they go by
Southern Route
Santa Fe
Cotton Belt
on their way
boxcars
flatcars
going-to-North Platte cars
grain trains
Maine trains
going-through-the-rain trains
long trains
strong trains
singing-clickety-song trains
cars with lumber
cars with cattle
clickety-clacking
to Seattle.
Detroit to Chicago
departing at five
whenever we get there
is when we arrive.
Midnight Special
to Cheyenne
get a sleeper
if you can
ALL ABOARD! Say good-bye
hear the railroad lullaby.
~Diane Siebert
chew your toenails?
