The Tiny Frog (a bedtime poem)

Leslie Kay Lanham 1960 (West Virginia)

September 22 


Once there was a tiny frog,
Who jumped inside a hollow log -
That rested on a bed of clay,
Beside the river’s edge one day.

And playing with his frog friends there,
He turned to them and did declare -
“I’ll count to ten,” he said with glee,
“Then I will find you all - you’ll see!”

For they were playing hide and seek,
He closed his eyes so not to peek.
While counting, when he got to four,
It suddenly began to pour.

Great big raindrops falling down,
Forming puddles on the ground.
His hollow log began to shift
And soon he found himself adrift.

The current took him farther still
And came to rest up near a hill.
He felt afraid there, all alone,
And knew he was not near his home.

He hopped outside, hoping to find
Another frog, like his own kind.
He shouted, “I could use a friend!”
Then climbed back in his log again.

He thought his cry had gone unheard,
Until he saw the lovely bird.
So pretty with her crest of blue
And wings with gold flecks shining through.

She landed there quite near his head,
Peered down inside the log and said -
“Please do not cry, why are you sad?
The rain has stopped, it’s not so bad!”

He slowly wiped away a tear
Then said, “I can’t get home from here -
The river carried me too far
In truth, I don’t know where we are.”

The lovely bird began to sing
While stretching out her lovely wings -
She said, “I’ll help you find your way,
And I’ll get you home safe today!”

Just then the sun came shining through,
She told him what he now must do -
“Climb on my wing and hold on tight,”
She said, then they took off in flight.

The tiny frog looked down in awe
At all the beauty that he saw -
And when he found his home below
She gently set him down to go.

He waved goodbye and thanked his friend,
Saying,  “I hope we’ll meet again!”
“We shall,” she said as her reply -
Then flew away up in the sky.

The tiny frog told all his friends,
“You won’t believe where I have been!
I met someone different from me
And she could sing so beautifully.”

The lovely bird and tiny frog
Who once met on a hollow log -
Remained as friends forever true,
Goodnight - sweet dreams - and I love you.

About this poem

I wrote this as a bedtime poem for my grandchildren. It has a sweet message about friendship.

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Written on September 08, 2022

Submitted by lanhamleslie on September 22, 2022

Modified by lanhamleslie on October 09, 2022

2:22 min read
483

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCC DDEE FFGG XXHH IIXX JJKL MMNN OOPP DXQQ XXCC NNRR XXSS KLTT XXEE ABNN
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 2,184
Words 476
Stanzas 15
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Leslie Kay Lanham

Mother, Grandmother, and happily retired. Part time poet and lyricist. Studied at Troy University. Currently resides in Pensacola, Florida. more…

All Leslie Kay Lanham poems | Leslie Kay Lanham Books

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Discuss the poem The Tiny Frog (a bedtime poem) with the community...

7 Comments
  • jennybabygirl6982
    I simply loved this Poem for a number of reasons, but most of all is due to my collection of frogs! I have 40 in my collection presently & will continue to do so. Good luck on your continued success with writing! Again, wonderfully done. Thank you for sharing & God bless. 
    LikeReply2 months ago
  • noahc_ishere
    This is gorgeous. I'd read this to my kids in the future.
    LikeReply 211 months ago
  • suzib.53754
    Lovely nice rhythm, sense of sound, lovely story I ☕
    LikeReply 11 year ago
  • Symmetry58
    This is extremely creative writing, Leslie. I'd say you have some very lucky grandchildren. :-)
    LikeReply 21 year ago
    • lanhamleslie
      Thank you so very much for your kind words!
      LikeReply 21 year ago
  • writingtobreathebp
    The flow, the rhythm and the imagery is just beautiful.
    LikeReply 21 year ago
  • snowpagg01
    This is such a lovely well written poem that kept my attention to the last word. It is a feel good story. I feel this is a poem that would be enjoyed by children as well as adults. Mostly I chose this poem because at the end... I smiled inside and out. 
    LikeReply 21 year ago
    • lanhamleslie
      Your comment gave me the biggest smile! Thank you for your encouragement.
      LikeReply 11 year ago
  • Nolostalgia
    Instant appeal away from this unhealthy world. Touch of childhood happiness.
    LikeReply 21 year ago

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"The Tiny Frog (a bedtime poem)" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/140315/the-tiny-frog-(a-bedtime-poem)>.

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