Poetry Friday--Fireflies

In the children's room we have an oldie but goodie, The Star in the Pail by David McCord, illustrated by Marc Simont [J MCC]. The text was originally copyrighted in 1925. This edition, illustrated by Simont, is copyrighted 1974.

One of the poems in it is appropriate for this time of year, since, depending upon where you are, fireflies are beginning to show themselves. They're not here yet in New Hampshire, but will be soon.

All About Fireflies All About

The stars are all so far away
For creature-kind that hide by day--
For moth and mouse and toad and such--
The starlight doesn't count for much.
And that is why a field at night
In May or June is plaintive, bright
With little lanterns sailing by,
Like stars across a mimic sky,
Just high enough--but not too high.

I can't wait to see fireflies--they always make summer nights seem magical. A friend of mine, Pat Thomas, has written a picture book about this magic, Firefly Mountain (illustrations by Peter Sylvada) [JP THO]. If you haven't come across it, rush right down to the library to get it!

Pat writes wonderfully poetic text. Here's the opening:

The whole long, yellow afternoon
the sun boiled down so hot
the heat squiggled up in waves from the meadow.

The sweet-dry smell of clover hay floated
over to where the oaks
dropped fat, round shadows.

Lovely!

Visit Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe for the Poetry Friday Round-Up.