My Violin

My Violin

By Bruce Lansky b. 1941 Bruce Lansky
My mom brought home a violin
so I could learn to play.
She told me if I practiced hard
I’d play it well someday.

Without a single lesson,
I tried to play a song.
My fiddle squeaked, my fiddle squawked.
The notes came out all wrong.

My little brother fled the room.
Mom covered up her ears.
My puppy dog began to howl.
My sister was in tears.

My dad pulled out his wallet.
He handed me a ten.
He made me swear I’d never play
that violin again.

“My Violin.” © 1996 by Bruce Lansky. Reprinted from My Dog Ate My Homework! (© 1996, 2000 by Meadowbrook Creations) with permission from Meadowbrook Press.

Source: My Dog Ate My Homework! (Meadowbrook Press, 1996)

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Poet Bruce Lansky b. 1941

POET’S REGION U.S., Midwestern

Subjects Arts & Sciences, Humor & Satire, Music

Poetic Terms Common Measure

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Biography

Bruce Lansky is an internationally known poet and anthologist. He has a passion for getting children excited about reading and writing poetry. Lansky's poetry books—including Mary Had a Little Jam; Peter, Peter, Pizza-Eater; If Kids Ruled the School; and Rolling in the Aisles—are currently among America's best-selling children's poetry books. He is also the editor of the middle-grade fiction series Girls to the Rescue and . . .

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SUBJECT Arts & Sciences, Humor & Satire, Music

POET’S REGION U.S., Midwestern

Poetic Terms Common Measure

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Originally appeared in Poetry magazine.

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