Jul9

What Will The Tree Be? (Short Story Slam: Children’s Lit)

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Stu

Standard

“What will this grow up to be?”

Sarah asked with a smile.

“Will it grow big and strong?

Will it take a long while?”

If I hold it in my hand, and show it the sun

Will it grow a lot of feet and run, run, run?

If the soil is soft and the roots are fed with dew

Will it grow up and play a harmonica or kazoo?

If I put it in a pot, will it grow this way and that?

Would it grow up to be happy, small and trim, not fat?

If was sitting there, alone on a table

Would it pine for something more, if it was able?

I know, I know…it will have lots of friends

They will grow up all together

In this garden that I’ll tend.

They sing all day, and rest all night

I’ll keep them close by

They’ll never leave my sight.

But…

If it was stolen by a big old UFO,

Would it grow up weird and have an orange glow?

If it was moving and mooing and calling out my name,

Would my tree ever really REALLY be the same?

Or…

If it was hit all over by some outer space like rays

Would it grow all big and furry, and refuse to play?

If it had one gazillion branches, and twice as many leaves

Would grandma have to knit a sweater with all those sleeves?

If it grows up really big and really strong

Would it live a good life, nothing with it wrong?

If it stood way up high above the ground

Would you be able to sit atop it and see all around?

I love my little tree

And I know it loves me

I wonder when it grows up

What exactly will it be.

I love my little tree.

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“Write a story or a poem based on the image you see,” were the only instructions given for Bluebell Books: Thursday Short Story Slam. The image they chose was the little girl that starts and ends my “picture book.”

I’m finding that I’m enjoying the challenges a lot, as they “force” me to work within certain parameters. So, yes, no one dies in this story. 🙂

Hope you like it. What I’m curious about: share it with a kid(s), and let me know if they like it or not. Thanks.

btw: sorry about the formatting. I can’t figure out why it’s doing what it’s doing.

48 responses »

Elise on July 9, 2011 at 10:58 pm said:

That was beautiful! I can’t wait to read it to my girls 🙂 I’ll keep ya posted!

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- bornstoryteller on July 9, 2011 at 11:01 pm said:
  
  Thanks Elise. Yeah, I’m curious if kids will find the humor in it or if it will bore them to tears.
  
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Danny Nettleton on July 9, 2011 at 11:40 pm said:

I like this a lot. Children’s poetry is hard. You have to be simple without being simplistic and you walked that line wonderfully. Such a flight of fancy. Kids love to sit and wonder about things like this. I think the last stanza is really strong as a conclusion. I wonder if it might work well to put it at the beginning too, so that it kind of creates the effect of arriving right back where you started. Anyway, feel free to look at some of my children’s poetry and let me know what you think. 🙂
http://danielnettleton.wordpress.com/category/poetry-for-children/

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 7:13 am said:
  
  Danny, thank you so very much. I will take a look and see if the repetition/bookends work. I know that I do repetition a lot with young kids, and reincorporating things is important in Improv, which I also do. Great suggestions. I’ll take a look at yours soon.
  
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Pamanner on July 10, 2011 at 12:22 am said:

Love this! Had a Shel quality I enjoy!!!

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 6:55 am said:
  
  Pam, that’s a high compliment indeed. I love Uncle Shel!! Thank you.
  
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Alejandro on July 10, 2011 at 3:03 am said:

very nice Stu.

A

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 6:56 am said:
  
  Thank you Alejandro. If you read it to Amelie, please let me know how she responded.
  
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Sajeevs blog on July 10, 2011 at 6:08 am said:

That was wonderful… Loved the creative imagination you put to make this poetry!!

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 7:13 am said:
  
  I really appreciate this. Thank you Sajeevs.
  
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SJ on July 10, 2011 at 8:28 am said:

He he love this. Such innocence in those questions truly childlike. You are obviously in touch with your inner child x

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- bornstoryteller on July 17, 2011 at 4:59 pm said:
  
  I always am, and I always hope to be. Thanks SJ
  
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mindlovemisery on July 10, 2011 at 10:12 am said:

This is awesome you nailed it completely!

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 11:07 am said:
  
  Thank you so much. I’ve read about half of the others, and some confuse me: they are NOT children’s lit at all. One actually was depressing.
  
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MuMuGB on July 10, 2011 at 10:54 am said:

Nice poem Stu! My daughters loved it, especially the younger one!

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 11:08 am said:
  
  YAY. I’m glad they liked it. I’ve had no other response kid wise. What are the ages? Thanks Muriel.
  
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Paula Tohline Calhoun on July 10, 2011 at 11:50 am said:

I don’t have any “litte ‘uns” at home, but this “big ‘un” certainly enjoyed the fancy-free child-like dreaming verse! Our granddaughter is only 10 mos. old, but I’ll read it to her today when I see her. I let you know what she thinks!

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 12:03 pm said:
  
  Thank you Paula. Big un’s need to like it too.
  
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Jingle on July 10, 2011 at 12:54 pm said:

wow, a story book,
brilliant, love it.

well done,

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 1:10 pm said:
  
  Thank you. It was the only thing that came to mind with that pic and the genre.
  
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cathy jones tittle on July 10, 2011 at 2:34 pm said:

Well my three 6 yr old grands just left for the movie but I will leave this window open and read it to them when they get back. I loved it!
~cath
(If you are having problems formatting posts with photos in them, then you will know why I left wordpress for blogger…it is much more user-friendly for someone like me who likes to post photos with text.) 😀

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 3:05 pm said:
  
  Thanks Cath. I’m curious how they react to it. This was also the first time I’ve had (1) to use so many photos in a post and (2) had any problems at all. So..I’m still a fan of WordPress.
  
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mish on July 10, 2011 at 4:55 pm said:

This is typical “what if” childhood curiosity … and a child-like imagination that knows no boundaries … very good interpretation of the prompt !

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 4:57 pm said:
  
  Thank you very much. I’ve hit half of the blogs. Will look at the rest.
  
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Daydreamertoo on July 10, 2011 at 5:39 pm said:

any child would delight in reading or, having this read to them a child of any age, including ours. LOL A lovely, delightful read and, thanks for visiting me, too.

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- bornstoryteller on July 10, 2011 at 5:54 pm said:
  
  It was my pleasure. So many different ways to look and interpret the same photo. Glad you liked it. Thank you.
  
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kriti on July 11, 2011 at 6:40 am said:

Fabulous fabulous work Stuart – really loved your poem

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- bornstoryteller on July 11, 2011 at 6:42 am said:
  
  Thank you Kriti. Still need to know if the wee ones like it as much as the adults. One 8 year old comment: it was kinda boring, but she liked the rhyming.
  
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charlie nitric on July 11, 2011 at 9:50 am said:

Hi Stuart –

Nice flow to your poem. Have you read it to younger students/kids yet? 🙂

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- bornstoryteller on July 11, 2011 at 7:47 pm said:
  
  Hey Brian. Thank you. Nope..haven’t tried with the campers yet. Just wrote it and today was hectic beyond belief. Soon.
  
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I've Become My Parents on July 11, 2011 at 7:16 pm said:

Very nice! I’d like to read it to my son, but I also find myself seeing him when looking at the first (and last) picture–not as the kid, but as the tree. For me, it really captures that sense of nurturing a child to adulthood, being able to provide for it and seeing so much potential but ultimately not knowing what it will become.

Thanks!

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- bornstoryteller on July 12, 2011 at 11:22 pm said:
  
  You are welcome. That’s a nice way to look at this. Thanks for bringing this interpretation.
  
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Lisa on July 11, 2011 at 8:18 pm said:

Reminds me of a cross between Shel and Dr Seuss – very imaginative, which kids love. As it turns out, tomorrow is my first day back at summer school so I’ll get you some feedback! :))

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- bornstoryteller on July 11, 2011 at 8:35 pm said:
  
  Li..I love both Shel & Suess… so, thank you. Nice compliments.
  
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Pingback: Thursday Poets Rally Week 48 (July 14-20) | Promising Poets' Poetry Cafe
Lisa on July 13, 2011 at 11:29 am said:

They liked it, Stu. The bit about knitting a sweater for it got some giggles, and we branched out into a discussion of a local tree that was “yarn bombed”. They also offered other things the tree could be, like a Christmas tree or a home for a squirrel. Which makes this story a nice little teaching tool as well, because you could go from there and talk about all of the ways we use trees in our lives – for food, shelter, shade, and beauty.

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- bornstoryteller on July 13, 2011 at 6:41 pm said:
  
  Nice. Thanks for the feedback. It’s good to know it hit it’s intended audience.
  
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Jennifer Zunikoff on July 13, 2011 at 12:32 pm said:

Terrific! I love trees! I cannot wait to read it to my daughter who loves aliens, UFOs, and outer space!
Thank you Stuart!!

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- bornstoryteller on July 13, 2011 at 6:40 pm said:
  
  Thanks Jen. let me know how they handled it.
  
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thursday poets rally on July 14, 2011 at 11:57 am said:

you got outstanding poetry talent, extraordinary imaginations.

Glad to discover your poetry talent via wordpress.com,

Hope to see you join poets rally week 48 today,

Visit me for details, share and make poetic friends, wow.

Blessings,

Have fun!
xoxox

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- bornstoryteller on July 14, 2011 at 6:55 pm said:
  
  Thank you. I am taken aback by all the positive feedback on my poetry. Never considered myself a poet by any stretch of the imagination.
  
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Penelope J. on July 17, 2011 at 1:50 pm said:

This is awesome, for both children and for adults. A great way to explain growing up to kids and also about nurturing. My niece related to it and loved the part, “But… If it was stolen by a big old UFO”. The poem tickles their imagination while the visuals add perspective and help kids to visualize the meaning. You may not imagine yourself as a poet,but in this area, you’ve done an excellent job of disproving your self-impression.

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- bornstoryteller on July 17, 2011 at 5:02 pm said:
  
  Thank you Penelope. Glad to hear the kids enjoying this. Part of it, to me, HAS to be done in voices.
  
  As to the poet, I never really “get” poetry at times, so I astound myself with this. Thank you.
  
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kez on July 18, 2011 at 4:25 pm said:

really loved this and the accompanying pictures , I wish I had some little ones to read it to …thank you

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- bornstoryteller on July 18, 2011 at 11:39 pm said:
  
  kez, you are welcome. thank you.
  
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Hocam on July 18, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

Stuart, what a wonderful picture story. It will appeal to the minds and imaginations of young children. I hope it will be ok to read this for my class when I return to school.

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- bornstoryteller on July 18, 2011 at 11:40 pm said:
  
  Mary, please do. All I ask is you get back to me with some feedback, to see what they thought. Thanks.
  
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Stuart Nager on September 15, 2012 at 2:37 pm said:

Reblogged this on Tale Spinning and commented:

My most viewed piece on Tale Spinning…hope you enjoy it for this holiday weekend.

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