Poetry Break: SEE THE JOLLY FAT BOY

POETRY BREAK: SEE THE JOLLY FAT BOY

Introduction: I will ask the students if they think words can hurt.

SEE THE JOLLY FAT BOY
By Judith Viorst

See the jolly fat boy
Filling up his plate,
Bulging at the belly and
A truckload overweight.
We call him blob and buffalo.
We call him tub of lard.
We’re sure he doesn’t mind because
There’s no one who laughs harder than
The fat boy.

See the jolly fat boy
Jiggling as he goes.
Bet it’s been at least five years
Since he’s last seen his toes.
We tell him that he looks just like
A movie star: King Kong.
We’re sure he likes our jokes because
There’s no one who laughs longer than
The fat boy.

See the jolly fat boy
When we’re not around.
He’s not laughing anymore.
He’s staring at the ground
With eyes like winter’s drearest days,
Like birds whose mama died.
I think we’ve never seen the boy
Who lives deep down inside—inside
The fat boy.

From SAD UNDERWEAR AND OTHER COMPLICATIONS by Judith Viorst. New York: Atheneum Books. 1995.

Extension: After a few minutes of reflection, I will ask the students how the poem made them feel. I will ask them again if they think words can hurt. Students will then take turns sharing positive comments about their classmates.