Image from Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Scaly, furry, great horned beasties
Flashing wide with snaggly grins.
Reaching out with long sharp
claws
To grab some kids and draw them in.
The creatures gnashed their
terrible teeth
And roared their terrible roars.
Reaching, grasping,
drooling… Run, kids!
They'll eat you up and ask for more.
Instead the young ones push in
closer
And find great comfort in those furry
arms.
For children know things, don't you know,
And they know these monsters mean
no harm.
Children know things, oh yes,
they do,
With wisdom born of hidden scars.
Raised by snarly monsters with flying
fists,
They know exactly where the wild
things are.
***
Written for dVerse ~ Poet's Pub, where Aaron Kent invited us to "let the wild rumpus begin" in honor of Maurice Sendak, who died on May 8, 2012.
Oh, I like where you went with this, children know a lot. Thank you.
ReplyDeletei def found comfort there...the wild things were awesome...haha on the terrible terrible as well, which is homage to sendak...ugh on that last stanza and the all too real monsters...
ReplyDeleteThat last verse is haunting. Beautiful, and terrible. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI like the wisdom of the children knowing where the wild things are ~
ReplyDeleteNice to see you Patti ~
As a child, I knew more where the monsters are than I do now. On the other hand, today i don't know monsters any more.
ReplyDeletePatti, you always come up with good sh...well, I mean, stuff!
S
so true...the kids know where the real dangers are...and certainly it's not their monster friends where they find so much comfort in...nice..
ReplyDeletewisdom born of hidden scars -> that's intense
ReplyDeletewhen do we stop being a child
This is easily one of my favourite poems submitted for the prompt! I loved it, I especially loved that you captured how children do not fear 'wild things' but instead understand them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining the wild rumpus!
Indeed children DO know where the wild things are, and they aren't in the storybook monsters! I enjoyed your write.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad, the reality that many children must experience. Horrifying. Your verses give the impression that some things can be fairy tales but others can't. Knowing how to discern the line between the two is very important, and your poem is an important signpost along the way of knowing that distinction.
ReplyDeleteWe thought being scary is not good for the young. But they see these as fun things building up the excitement. You have brought out the reality of it in your verse, Patti! Great write!
ReplyDeleteHank
I always thought it very interesting that adults seemed to be the ones who were scared of Sendak's creatures while most children enjoyed them. Sadly,many children do know where the real wild things are.
ReplyDeleteYes, the wild things that scare are not in books but I hope the books help them cope in some small measure. Great poem. Happy Mother's Day, Patti!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this piece. It really does a great job reflecting upon Sendak's work, but even more so, you touch upon that idea regarding children and the openness and acceptance of intuition. An idea that I believe in many cases is something children learn out of, the more they grow, they are taught different ideals and this intuition disappears for some. Anyhow, kind of what popped in my head while reading this. Very nicely done. Thanks
ReplyDeletegreat imagery
ReplyDeletealso great insight into Sendak's work
Children DO know. Very astute of you and a fantastic tribute to Sendak's work. He leaves behind such an incredible legacy!
ReplyDelete