Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Yesterday I got my ICL newsletter. (What’s that you ask?A wonderful little FREE newsletter full of tips and fun. Go here to get yours.) And I followed a link to the ICL bulletin boards where they are having a fun little contest.( Write up the opening of a classic as if it were a rhyming picture book.)

One of the gals entering the contest was really funny and really talented (not to say they weren’t all talented, just this women really hooked me) so I went over to her blog to read more of her stuff. Wow! She writes the blog with a friend and, “my, oh my,” they are good. Check ‘em out.

Some of the bloggers who belong to the kidlitosphere post about poetry on Fridays. I’m not sure exactly what the rules are. Maybe there aren’t any.

Anyway, I figured I’d join the fun since Susan, from The Book Chook, had a post on poetry yesterday–a great one about teaching kids to write different kinds of fun poems–and with her post there was a picture of a darling baby sucking its toes.

That reminded me of one of my favorite poems when I was a kid. It was from the book Silver Pennies which I adore. I still have my old copy.

So here’s the poem:

A Bunch of Roses

THE rosy mouth and rosy toe  
Of little baby brother 
Until about a month ago
Had never met each other; 
But nowadays the neighbors sweet,
In every sort of weather, 
Half way with rosy fingers meet, 
To kiss and play together.  
 

John Bannister Tabb

Edited to add a link to a post about how Poetry Friday works.