We all fondly remember Shel Silverstein’s cute Food Poems, but little did we know about the UK based Hungarian poet, George Szirtes’s magical food poems for the little ones. Why little ones alone? Indeed, these yummy poems are a joy to savour for the adults as well.

Photo of George & Clarissa by poet Alvin Pang, Singapore

SPINACH

Green stuff
mean stuff,
eat it up and grin stuff,
looking just like leaf stuff!

You hate it?
I ate it
so don’t be too hasty.

It can be tasty.

Micheal Wepplo Photography

CARROT

I once had a carrot
I fed it to my parrot
I fed it to my rabbit
It became a habit
I fed it to my chimpanzee
He wouldn’t pay and took it free
I fed it to my elephant
He didn’t think it relephant.

PIZZA

She keeps eating bitsa
pizza.
She’s eaten eight or nine,
and now she’s eating mine!

BANANAS

Here in England bananas are curved
like moons or fingernails.

In other countries they are square,
so say the fairy tales.

Bananas can come in various shapes
I like the ones that are shaped like grapes.

SPUD

Poor old spud,
raised in mud
then peeled and sliced and fried.

Oh, how it cried and cried!

PORRIDGE

Some folk say porridge
was invented in Norridge

And people in Greenach
say they they constructed spinach.

While the citizens of Cheam
insist that they discovered ice cream.

People in East and West Ham
are divided on ham.

Myself, I lived some time in Hitchen,
and never once did I leave the kitchen.

RICE

Rice is tiny
a gang of white ants
rushing around the plate
in search of curry.

Enjoyed these pieces? You can save these for a fun workshop on food poetry with your students. Who knows they may just get inspired to start writing on their own. After all, good food not only takes care of health but inspires great creativity too! TOS