frogs at school

i must have been no older than seven. i loved children's poetry then, and i love it much more now.

i can see myself practising in front of the mirror for the school recitation contest with a poem i found in a book that belonged to my oldest sister: everyday classics: second reader, baker & thorndike. a compilation of poems specially for children.

the book was small and had a yellow hardcover with the picture of a girl sitting on a rock and staring at the horizon.

i still treasure that book and it holds a special place in my bookshelf.

the selected poem was frogs at school, by george cooper. a not very succesful early xx century poet.

i transcript the poem that gave me nothing more than a diploma signed by my english teahcer and the grade school principal, and the urge to win the contest the next year.

FROGS AT SCHOOL
by George Cooper

Twenty froggies went to school
Down beside a rusy pool;
Twenty little coats of green,
Twenty vests all white and clean.
"We must be in time," said they,
"First we study, then we play;
That is how we keep the rule,
When we froggies go to school."