In mid-October we always head to the fire station for a fire safety presentation. It’s a short walk from school, or a short bus trip in inclement weather. The kids typically have the opportunity to explore firetrucks and equipment, watch a fire safety video, and interact with the firemen and women. There’s also Sparky, the water-squirting, fire-truck-driving, mechanical dog. As you can imagine, the event is always a hit with the kids.

This year’s presentation was very well-designed and my students were thoroughly engaged. Our fourth grade group was split into our three classes to rotate through different activities. My class had the good fortune to see the video first.

After the video, some inspired soul (clearly never an elementary school teacher) thought it would be a great idea to give each child a fire-safety poster. In the past the posters have been distributed at the end of the day at school. This time, the poster was placed into each eager fourth grade hand. Since we saw the video first (Remember, I mentioned our good fortune? You can reread that sentence with some sarcasm right now. I’ll wait.), these posters came with my students through the next two stations. So, for the next 30 or so minutes, while waiting in line to participate, students had a rolled up (or unrolled) poster in their hands. Or on their friends. Or in their mouths. Yup.

It’s truly amazing what a poster can become, and although you might not think so, a rolled up poster can be even more entertaining than the Jaws Of Life. I can attest to the veracity of that statement.

At any rate, the events of the day inspired this poem:

Roll Up A Poster and It Can Become…

A lyrical flute or a megaphone
a spyglass to spy out the journey home
a sound tube to whisper secrets and dreams
or amplify noises and high-pitched screams
A pirate sword in a desperate fight
“Ahoy, ye maties!” Jab left! Jab right!
Finally, unrolled at the end of play
a poster can show tips to save the day
So many distinct possibilities
I wonder what else a poster can be…

M. Hogan ©2018

This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by the amazing Jama Rattigan at her lush blog, Jama’s Alphabet Soup. Make sure to stop by and check out the poetry action. If you’re in the soggy Northeast, it will offer a nice respite from the unrelenting grey and drizzly weather. (Or, alternatively, get yourself a poster and let your imagination go wild!)