Ode To Crayons Poem by Ryan Brodesser

Heres to the crayons

Red, and blue

Green to red

Purple and violet

All wonderful

Sights to be seen

A wide rainbow

Trapped

Meant to be

Seen

In a wide open box

Waiting

Patient

Wanting to be used

Ready,

Willing

Needing

To be used


Heres to crayons

Chewed crayons

Glue Covered crayons

Put into a slobbering mouth

That has tiny

Ungrown and underdeveloped

Yet sharp little

Teeth


Heres to crayons

Rolled over

Or crushed

With toys and tiny toes

And thus,

Smushed

Into clean, good carpets

Thrown away

Or smeared

Into the wooden

Floors

Or transformed

Into crude art

Made with stubby,

Short sausage like

Tiny fingers


Heres to the first use

Of a crayon

The delighted look of any child

Upon opening the package

The trembling fingers

Of withheld anticipation

And secret glee

Of the possibilities they can explore

With the crayon

The first use of the crayon

And the first signed art

On the walls,

Ceiling

And floors

Heres to the primitive urges

To write,

Scribble

Grafititize

Color

And ruin

Any place possible

Whether garages

Halls or

Bedrooms

And the reward,

Of this gleeful

Vandalistic

Actions you take

Is an annoyed guardian,

Or babysitter


Heres to poor substance

In wax form

Crayons

Food, yet not food

In the eyes

Of a small

Hungry

Child

Who gnaws

Chomps

And chews

Until only

A small,

Pathetic looking

Stub remains


Heres to things meant to be thrown away

After being used

50 no

80 no

200 times

After being crumbled

Thrown

Scraped

Broken

So that

It is

Literally

And figuratively

Shattered in service

From time and long continued use


Heres to the host

And backbone

Of kindergartens

And to the love

The pride from the work

Of a small child

Who had succeeded

In creating

A drawing

Which is

In the parents mind

Worthy enough of The Sistine Chapel

And is kept

By any

Parent

Grandmother

Grandfather

Aunt or

Uncle

Long enough to be loved

Admired

Praised

And the child

Is rewarded

And gets,

A hug

And a kiss

Satisfying

That happy child

Heres to crayons.