by Marilyn Singer

A stick is an excellent thing.
If you find the perfect one,
it’s a scepter for a king.
A stick is an excellent thing.
It’s a magic wand. It’s yours to fling,
to strum a fence, to draw the sun.
A stick is an excellent thing
if you find the perfect one.

Copyright © 2012 Marilyn Singer. From the book A Stick Is an Excellent Thing. Clarion Books. Reprinted by permission of the author.

About this Poem

I grew up mostly on Long Island, NY. When I was a kid, we couldn’t wait for summer so we could play all kinds of games outdoors (we played them in other seasons, too, but we didn’t get to stay out as late). I encourage everyone to go outside and play some of them today! Which are your favorites?

The title poem from A Stick Is an Excellent Thing (Clarion, 2012) is also a celebration of imagination. And it’s written in one of my favorite forms–the triolet.

About The Author

Photo by Laurie Gaboardi/The Litchfield County Times

Marilyn Singer is the author of over one hundred books for children and young adults in many genres, but she especially loves to write poetry.  Her works include A Stick Is an Excellent Thing, The Superheroes Employment Agency, the award-winning Mirror Mirror, and its companion, Follow Follow, and the forthcoming Rutherford B., Who Was He?  She lives in Brooklyn New York and Washington, Connecticut with her husband and several pets.

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