Tag Archives: poetry

A poem about the terrors of homework from Jack Prelutsky

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Here’s a poem that received rave reviews from Ellis and Elliot. Instead of scratching their heads and asking me what a poem means, with this poem they understood right away what the poet was talking about. They nodded their heads in agreement with smiles getting larger at the verse repetition. It probably surprised them that someone had articulated their exact thoughts into a poem.

I felt this way about homework too when I was a kid. Now I wish I had time to do homework in peace and silence. Desires change with different seasons of life. So is life…roll with the seasons.

Homework! Oh, Homework!

Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you
away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You're giving me fits.

I'd rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework
my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework!
You're last on my list,
I simply can't see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink. 
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!    

 - Jack Prelutsky
We planned on exploring moon phases with Oreos but we made the terrible mistake of buying only one pack. By the time we needed it, only the empty box remained. So kids ended up coloring it in complaining the whole time that I ate too many of the Oreos.

Have a wonderful February weekend and stay well! Thanks for stopping by and reading.