April 24th is Poem in Your Pocket Day and I got to celebrate by helping 3rd graders write Mother’s Day poems. (see School Visit Mother’s Day Poems for the full lesson.) I also pulled this wonderful poem by the late Elaine Laron from my pocket throughout the day:
No One Else
by Elaine Laron
Now, someone else can tell you how
To multiply by three
And someone else can tell you how
To spell Schenectady
And someone else can tell you how
To ride a two-wheeled bike—
But no one else, no, no one else
Can tell you what to like.
An engineer can tell you how
To run a railroad train
A map can tell you where to find
The capital of Spain
A book can tell you all the names
Of every star above—
But no one else, no, no one else
Can tell you who to love.
Your aunt Louise can tell you how
To plant a pumpkin seed
Your cousin Frank can tell you how
To catch a centipede
Your Mom and Dad can tell you how
To brush between each meal—
But no one else, no, no one else
Can tell you how to feel.
For how you feel is how you feel
And all the whole world through,
No one else, no, no one else
Knows
that
as well as YOU!
Ms. Laron (1930-2013) wrote the anti-war song “Hell No, I Ain’t Gonna Go”
recorded by civil rights activist Matthew Jones, and was a writer and lyricist
for early children’s television programs such as Captain Kangaroo,
and The Electric Company.
This poem can be found in FREE TO BE YOU AND ME,
by Marlo Thomas and Friends.
What poem did you pull out of your pocket today?
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