Just Poetry Three—And Silly, at that!

The Time to Tickle a Lizard,
Is Before, or Right After, a Blizzard.
Now the place to begin
Is just under his Chin—
And here's more Advice:
Don't Poke more than Twice
At an Intimate Place like his Gizzard.
—Theodore Roethke


THE EEL
—Ogden Nash

I don't mind eels
Except at meals,
And the way they feels.


TENDER-HEARTEDNESS
—Harry Graham

Billy, in one of his nice new sashes,
Fell in the fire and was burnt to ashes;
Now, although the room grows chilly,
I haven't the heart to poke poor Billy.


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These are from The New Oxford Book of Children's Verse, edited by Neil Philip. Are you interested in mentoring teen writers? Elisabeth Wilhelm, the 18-year-old editor for Absynthe Muse, is looking for adults to mentor teen and young adult writers in poetry and other writing forms. Go to www.absynthemuse.com for more information.

—Medusa