Dragon

Let me tell you about me,

Children love me,

You're a child.

All my heads are green and handsome.

All my eyes are red and wild.

All my toes have claws upon them.

All the claws have hooks.

I blow smoke through all my noses.

It is hotter than it looks.

All my tails have points upon them.

All my teeth are sharp and blue.

I won't bite you very badly.

I am fond of you.

All my scales are shaped like arrows.

They will hurt you if you touch.

So, although I know you love me,

Do not pet me very much.

- Karla Kuskin

From Eric Carle's DRAGONS DRAGONS & other creatures that never were

Published by Philomel Books in 1991

The main reason I chose this poem, aside from the fact that Eric Carle illustrated it,  is because I know that if I were a child this would have been one that I loved.  I have always liked dragons and this is a comical take on what a dragon might say to a child.  There is a rhyme scheme to this poem but I did not identify it at first it appears to go AABCBDEFEDGAGHIAI.  So it is not exactly the most rhyming poem but it does have the element of the end words rhyming somewhat.  There are also repeated phrases like "All my".  This poem also offers up a strong visual image of a dragon, just by reading it is very easy to see a dragon is ones mind.  It has a columnar form to it.  There is not much depth to the poem, just something fun for a child to read.