Hammering a Nail
Tommy saw a nail today.
He hit it with a hammer.
Everyone for miles around
heard him shriek and yammer.
Tommy saw a nail today.
And now he knows it’s dumb
to hammer on a nail when it’s
the one that’s on your thumb.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 1
Topics: Poems about Kooky Characters
Poetic Techniques: Irony
About This Poem
I love characters who are extremely dumb. From Amelia Bedelia, who takes everything literally, to the Stupid family and the Dumb Bunnies, who truly live up to their names, to Patrick Star from Spongebob Squarepants, who is utterly lacking in common sense, characters like these make us laugh because they are such outrageous exaggerations. In real life, no one would behave like they do, but it's great fun to read about or watch characters like them in books, movies, and television. The moral of this story is that nails are made for hammering, unless they are fingernails, thumbnails, or toenails. So go ahead and paint your nails, trim your nails, or even chew your nails if you must. But don't hammer your nails. It's not the least bit fun.
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