I wish you enough sun…
to keep your attitude
bright.
I wish you enough rain…
to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness…
to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain…
so that the smallest joys in
life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain…
to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss…
to appreciate all that you
possess.
I wish enough “Hello’s”…
to get you through the final “Goodbye.”
(From Bob Perks, “I Wish You Enough!” 2001 )
I read this poem for Pre-school to 8th grade. Then, I had the students read parts. We did not discuss it. I read it to enjoy the sentiment, the satisfying repetition and the balance of the couplets.
Afterwards I selected a couplet that had some threads to a story. Each story was one that had a message about Earth Day. I feel that reading this poem and letting them read it served to set the stage for some deeper comprehension of the story. After the story I asked some leading questions about the story. The students had a real understanding of the story and asked some very savvy questions.
I wish you enough sun…
to keep your attitude bright.
“The Legend of the Red Cedar” – Cherokee Legend
I wish you enough rain…
to appreciate the sun more.
“The First Rainbow” – Stories the California Indians Told
I wish you enough happiness…
to keep your spirit alive.
“Once A Good Man” – Jewish story rewritten by Jane Yolen
I wish you enough pain…
so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
“Chit-Chat” – An African Story
I wish you enough gain…
to satisfy your wanting.
“How the Animals Were Formed” – Iroquois Legend
I wish you enough loss…
to appreciate all that you possess.
“The Brave Little Parrot” Jataka Tale retold
I wish enough “Hello’s”…
to get you through the final “Goodbye.”
“Middle Woman” by Orson Scott Card
Bibliography
Legend of the Red Cedar:
http://www.marilynkinsella.org/The%20Legend%20of%20the%20Red%20Cedar.htm
“The First Rainbow” – Stories the California Indians Told
“Once a Good Man” by Jane Yolen in The Hundredth Dove
“Chit-Chat” – One Minute Favorite Fairy Tales by Shari Lewis
“How the Animals Were Formed”
“The Brave Little Parrot” Jataka Tale retold
www.jbrowley.com/The%20Brave%20Little%20Parrot.pdf
“Middle Woman” by Orson Scott Card in Maps in a Mirror
Marilyn Kinsella www.marilynkinsella.org
