This poem is an example of a mask or persona poem - a poem written in the voice of an animal or object.

CRAYON DANCE
By April Halprin Wayland

The cardboard ceiling lifts
Pickmepickmepickme, I pray
The fingers do! They choose me, Sky Blue!
Hurrah! Hooray!

As I am picked from the pocket
All colors whisper, “Good-bye, Pastel!
Be strong! Don’t Break!
Enjoy! Farewell!”

Hi, hi! I’m scrubbing a sky!
Some stripes and whorls and — whee!
Cha-cha-cha, loop-de-loop
I’m leaving bits of me!

They gave me a chance!
All of me rocks in this
Fine, wild dance —
The dance of me, Sky Blue!

Leaping and laughing, this message I’m leaving:
Ha ha!
Hi hi!
Hurrah!
Hurray!
Good-bye!

From: DIRTY LAUNDRY PILE, POEMS IN DIFFERENT VOICES

Selected by Paul B. Janezcko. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers.

Copyright 2001.

After reading poem, show an object - perhaps a shoe, a book or something else familiar in the classroom. Discuss what this item might say if it were given the chance. Let children work in pairs to choose an object from the room and write their own original poem from the perspective of that item. When it is time to share, don't mention what the item is - let the listeners guess and see if they can figure it out. (For younger students, a group or class poem might be more appropriate.)