Broccoli Trees

Tonight's dinner was teriyaki chicken with steamed rice and broccoli.  This is a pretty routine meal around here.  However, my 6 year old turned it into a poetry feast.  While we were enjoying our dinner my sons were commenting on how big each others broccoli were.  One turned to the other and said, "they look like broccoli trees."  My oldest daughter and I looked at each other and had the same thought.  I immediately went to one of our bookshelves and pulled out one of her favorite poetry books.  I remember she would have me read this over and over to her, before she ever even started any official schooling.

Perhaps you've heard of it: The Bookworm's Feast by J. Patrick Lewis.  I'm so glad we pulled it out tonight, it has been years for us; but the kids enjoyed listening to a few poems tonight.  My oldest immediately decided to retrieve with it after her dinner time chores.

The poems might not be Shakespeare, but certainly captivating enough for my young crowd (especially my silly boys).  This is the poem that started the feast tonight:

Green Willy

An Onion named Willy ran off to the ocean,

Rented a raft from a Carrot named Dick,

Set out to sea but the rocking-chair motion

Turned him as green as a Celery stick.

Green Willy, Green Willy, Green Willy, they called him,

Bobbing along on the Vegetable Seas.

Cucumber green was the sail that hauled him

Off to the Island of Broccoli Trees.