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"Nope Actually, I think they help riting, because they keephand warm and make words flow out onto the paper better It's like when I warm my brain with a hat"

"I see Did you have a question? Is that why you raised your hand?"

"No, I just wanted to say so-ness I think a poe as it tells you it should be"

"As it tells you?" Mrs Pidgeon repeated, with a puzzled look

Gooney Bird nodded She pulled her bracelets off and stacked the a round tower of the brass circles "Yes Writing a poe a story You say what you want to say, and then it tells you, in your brain: Stop here"

"Hht, and that we should all listen ht try warested politely

Malcolm held up his fist and pretended it was a microphone "Brain to Malcolm, Brain to Malcolm," he intoned in a deep voice "'Wear underpants on your head'"

"Teacher to Malcol up her own invisible 's poem now, and I want you to pay attention You were one of the ones anted rhyeon carefully unfolded the paper and read aloud:

My Daughter

by Mrs X

"Hey!" Tyrone called out "That's you! If your ht?"

"That's true," said Mrs Pidgeon "This is a poeo, so it's a poee"

"Cool," said Tyrone

"Mrs Pidgeon, you ought to say the author's real name, not 'Mrs X'! Just because we call her Mrs X, that doesn't mean it's her author name!" Chelsea pointed out

"You're correct, Chelsea But you knohat, class? Myspecial about her name, and I want to surprise you with it But not yet So for now, her author naht?"

All of the children nodded

"I'll start again"

My Daughter

by Mrs X

Daughter, laughter: spelled the sahter's naeon picked up the chalk and wrote the tords on the board: daughter, laughter

"Yep, they oughta rhyme," Tyrone said "Look at that It's crazy that they don't rhy," Malcolm said in a relieved voice

"It's very thweet," Felicia Ann said

"But it tells a lie!" Nicholas announced "You said your ht to be" He hesitated, thinking

Mrs Pidgeon smiled "That's my first name, Patricia Some people call me Patsy, or Pat But my mother always liked my full name best: Patricia"

She read the short poeain "It's just two lines," she pointed out "Two rhy lines Hear that? Same, and name?"

The children nodded They said the words aloud: Same Name

"This kind of poe Probably pretty easy to write, I' our writing ti a couplet Then, at the end of the day, we'll read our couplets aloud"

"Do they have to be about Patricias?" Malcolood question, Malcolm And I have an idea Let's do this Let's each write a couplet about our own fahed He lived in a very noisy, complicated family because of the triplets that had been born the previous spring Malcol to that "Here's a poem about my family," he said with another scowl " Crash Bash Smash That's what it sounds like attiested, "and maybe you'll be able to cohed "Couplet, triplets? That's almost a rhyme, isn't it?"

Malcol tier than usual The children,poems was not easy They had to search their heads for the perfect words

"In stories or fables, you can use any old words," Chelsea said, looking glumly at her paper, which was covered with scribbles and cross-outs "But for a poeht It's hard"

"Revise, revise, revise," murmured Tricia, her head bent over her desk

Mrs Pidgeontrouble,help

"I don't need help," Barry Tuckerman boasted "Mine's done I'm probably the best poet in the world" He turned his paper over and sat with his hands folded

"You're a poet and you don't know it, but your feet show it--" Ben chanted, looking at Barry The other children all joined in: "They're Long-fellows!"

Mrs Pidgeon looked at the clock "All right," she said "I know many of you need more time, but you'll have to stop for now andbefore we know it Who's ready to read a couplet aloud? Barry, I know you are Want to start?"

Barry Tuckerled They liked u Barry He was s But he was like an oldhis paper, shoulders back, looking around, waiting for the audience to be attentive

He cleared his throat Then he read his poem:

A Couplet

by Barry Tucker

is the word for sister or brother

I don't believe there's any other

He bowed The second-graders all clapped Malcolave a shrill whistle of approval

"That was terrific, Barry," Mrs Pidgeon told him "It ell, it was Barry-esque"

"Does Barry get an A?" asked Chelsea

"No grade for poetry," Mrs Pidgeon said "Poetry is not soe You just savor it"

When she realized they looked puzzled, she suggested, "You can look savor up in your dictionaries later" Then she looked around the room "Anyone else? Good Felicia Ann is ready"