Arnie the apple hung from a tree in an orchard a mile wide. And every day the pickers would come and haul dozens of apples inside.

They’d pick the prettiest of the bunch, filling their baskets and pails. But they always passed by Arnie, ignoring his whines and wails.

“Please pick me!”, Arnie would cry each time the pickers sauntered by. “I want to go inside with you!”, cried Arnie till he turned bright blue.

But the pickers ignored him day after day, while Arnie hung there in dismay, trying to nurse his shattered pride, dying to be picked to be taken inside.

Each new dawn he’d do a trick like spinning around on his twig. But the picky pickers never stopped for apples that weren’t big

or juicy or red or bright or sweet. Poor Arnie was none of these things. He wasn’t completely quite full grown and he had some nicks and dings.

He dreamed what it was like inside; lights and music all around. Arnie just wanted to go there so badly he flung himself to the ground.

The next day the pickers came along and saw him lying there. They took him inside and Arnie thought, “This is it! I’m finally there!”

But when Arnie the Apple looked around he realized his dreams were false, ’cause in less than 15 minutes he was Arnie Applesauce.

 

Copyright Arden Davidson, 2019

 

POEM FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY ARDEN DAVIDSON

Illustration from Pixabay.

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Gratitude

1. Arnie the Apple doesn’t notice the lovely things about his present situation because he’s so desperate to be picked. What do you think this poem says about the importance of focusing on what’s happening right now?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ MORE POEMS FROM THE SAME AUTHOR?

Whats Weird About a Mirror by Arden Davidson Storyberries Publishing

What’s Weird About A Mirror: 101 Curious Poems

written by Arden Davidson and published by Storyberries.

It’s a long-awaited, hilarious collection of children’s poems by poet Arden Davidson, and includes topics ranging from a snoring grandma to a six-footed camel to reflections on the weirdness of mirrors.