The Upside Down Day
Mary Ellen Smith
When the class got to school they had quite a surprise
In fact they could hardly believe all their eyes!
The teacher declared today we will play
Upside down school all of the day!
Her frown was a smile and her smile a frown
On her face were her glasses that she wore upside down.
Her hair was a big bun all wrapped up so tight
With yellow pencils stuck in it, oh what a sight!
Her questions were answers, her answers all wrong
And once in awhile she would burst out in song!
I’ll be the upside down teacher she said to them all
As they went into the classroom from out of the hall.
The desks on the ceiling were nailed up just right
And the chairs, upside down, well, you had to hold tight!
The chalk on the chalkboard was black as the ink
Now how could you see it? What do you think?
Ladders and cats lined the walls of the school
Don’t step on their tails, the one golden rule.
The kids wore their sweaters over their legs
And their socks on their hands and their shoes hung on pegs.
When the bell rang you sat till the clock said hello
And that’s when teacher would let the class go.
The playground was upside down as well don’t you see
And the children just hung there and yelled, “Hey look at me!”
For lunch they had dinner and breakfast for lunch
And dinner was something the teacher called brunch.
But their upside day didn't come without cost
It seems laws of nature were somehow just lost.
Everywhere upright things weren't upright anymore
From the buildings outside to the knobs on the door!
The teacher didn't know how these things came to past
And hoped oh so much that it just wouldn't last.
Well then a strange thing happened that caught teacher's eye.
The children were pointing up high to the sky.
Up high past the clouds where you almost can’t see
The children spied a big giant upside down tree!
Baby birds were heard chirping, alarmed in their nests
“Chirp, chirp! Get us down!” Was their birdie requests.
The tree wasn’t planted, its roots were unbound
And the teacher, amazed at what they had found,
Brought all of the ladders out of the class
And tied them together and tied them up fast.
And she and children climbed up to the leaves
Where they got to work quick and rolled up their sleeves.
The birds in their nests had been holding on tight
Throughout the long day and into the night.
The birds were so many, perhaps even a flock
And even to teacher it was quite a shock.
They gathered the birdies in their sweaters and hats
And carried them down to give to the cats.
The cats they were purring so happy to care
And the birds oh so happy not be way up there!
The cats fed the birdies some worms and some bugs
And tucked them in sweetly with kisses and hugs.
That day said the teacher we’ll set everything right
We’ll bring the desks down to the appropriate height.
Up will be up and down will be down
And if I am smiling, it won’t be a frown.
She turned round her glasses, the class said “Hooray!”
And that was the end of their upside down day.
12/12/2008
Author's Note : The grandgirls and I play upside down teacher!
Posted on 12/12/2008 Copyright © 2024 Mary Ellen Smith
Member Comments on this Poem Posted by Charles E Minshall I sat upside down while I read this and found it quite fun almost sweet bliss....CharMin
Posted by George Hoerner Really a cute write Ellen
Posted by Mary Frances Spencer I think you have the makings of a kid's book here! good stuff! MFS
Posted by Quentin S Clingerman Wonderful to read another of your "classic" tales.
Posted by Kristina Woodhill A marvelous adventure!! Thank you very much.
Posted by Gabriel Ricard Sounds quite lovely. Great stuff.
Posted by Chris Sorrenti You don't seem to post very often Mary Ellen, or maybe I just don't notice, but when you do and I read, it's always a doosey. Excellent children's poem with high altitude imagination! 5 gold ***** teacher. :o)
Posted by Mike Loftis Very adorable. :) Put an upside down frown on my face.
Posted by Gregory O'Neill Your upside down day was a delight to my upside down life today...may have even righted it a bit...(glad you "righted" though! Thanks.
Posted by Tony Whitaker "Cat In the Hat" comes to mind, and all that Dr. Suess would have said with a world upside down. Brilliant book material!
Posted by Angela Nuzzo This is excellent, Mary Ellen! I agree with Mary Frances & Tony - this would be perfect for a children's book with brightly colored pictures. One of those oversized books that teachers use to read to the whole class! :)
