I long to climb into the sky
On steps of wisp and smoke;
I long to feel the sweet caress
Of heaven’s velvet cloak.
I long to greet the newborn dawn,
Blushing in its youth;
I long to shoo the honeyed rays
From shadow’s hungry tooth.
I long to hear the faeries sing
Conducted by the moon;
I long to dance with dimpled winds
In Eden’s fair lagoon.
I long to stroke a comet’s tail
Impetuous in flight;
I long to whisper in the dark
Of dreams beyond the night.
I long for things I cannot have
And I will not deny,
For beauty’s sake is why I long
To climb into the sky.
© Sonya Annita Song
Reowr 
You and me both.x
I think there’s room enough for both of us…and Hugh too if you want to bring him along.
Reblogged this on Reowr and commented:
Would this poem be suitable for a children’s picture book?
I think it would, definitely!
Ah, you are thus far the only one hehe. 🙂
Really?? Wonder why?
What age group do you have in mind? IMO young adults perhaps.. Dreams beyond the night .. is a beautiful mature expression.. that may not be understand by the little minds am assuming…
Hehe methinks you may be right about that. You have very nice opinions. 🙂
😉
I think so, it’s not only what you can understand
It’s also what you can feel. Also children are as far shed as we slow them to be I in the way we create and recreate them!
I like this muchly. I don’t know about “suitable” for a children’s picture book….maybe a little beyond children. but older children (like me) and adults would enjoy it….I can see a little tiny creature climbing heavenward up a morning glory vine, or a butterfly aiming skyward or a ladybug hitching a ride on the back of a bluebird….oh my, this just brings so many wondrous images of wending my way to the sky. I used to dream I could fly when I was a child. One morning, I woke up with my feet stained green from grass – I had dreamed I was running and lifted my arms…and flew! I probably just somnambulated, but it was a wonderful feeling to think I had flown.
Thank you so much for your reply to my question. My gut tells me that you are right about it being not quite right for young children. The image of a ladybug riding a bluebird tickles my mind. I also had flying dreams when I was young, and they were always so sad to wake from. Waking to grass-stained feet sounds so mysterious…makes you think that anything could have happened. 🙂
oh yes….:-)
I long to have your inspiration and such soft words to write 🙂
What happened to your lovely blog? I hope it is only undergoing some transformations and will be back up soon. Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
Still there, I hope. Haven’t posted recently. Let me know it it’s not showing for you. 🙂
Still nothing. All I see is the header and then below it “Nothing Found” and then “It seems we can’t find what you’re looking for. Perhaps searching can help.”
I love it and want to know where I can get a ticket.
Hmm, I’m not sure, but if I ever find out I’ll let you know. 🙂
Very nice!
Glad you liked it! 🙂
I did, very much. Thank you!
This is beautiful! The words are a little beyond a child’s grasp, but resonates with a child’s dreams…ergo, it touches the child and dreamer within each of us.
Ah, thank you! I was confused as to which audience this was appropriate for, but what you said makes perfect sense. 🙂
Such lovely words
Thank you Barb. 🙂
I LOVE this. Such a masterful ode.
I’m so happy you think so! 🙂
Can I come too? It sounds so lovely.
Of course you can come too. That’s where goddesses belong…surrounded by beauty. 🙂
Thank you so much for the invite! You are a sweet kitty!
When I was teaching my children, I bought poetry books for children. One of them was Emily Dickinson and I remember thinking, ‘This is for children?’ So I don’t know what publishers tend to think are for children or not. Personally, I think this poem is great for a child at about 11+ They may not understand every line but they would feel the magic in it.
Yeah, I think you’re right about 11+ for age. Ah, magic…did you know I can do card tricks?
No, but if your ability at card tricks is as good as your poetry, then that’s an act I would like to see! 😀
Haha well, I may be a little rusty, but….pick a card, any card. Now put it back on top of the pile. No, not the middle, the top. Okay, now let me shuffle it up real nice and good. Hmm, now let’s see…is it the Queen of Hearts?
LOL! Always,
This is so beautiful and it reminds me of a dream I had as a child. Another dream! I dreamed that there was a golden ladder floating above my bed unattached just suspended and I climbed up the rungs and at the top there was a beautiful city in the clouds and this reminds me of that dream =)
You really should write about the dreams you have. The one you described sounds incredible. Can’t wait to read more about it. 😉
This is amazing poetry! this may be a bit deep and mature for children though.:)
That seems to be the general consensus. 🙂 Thank you so much for your opinion and kind words.
Although quite deep with a more “mature” language (probably over the top of kids heads) i can imagine such beautiful illustrations to accompany this..really really like this.
Glad you liked this. I was afraid it would seem like fluff to adults which is why I thought it might be okay for children. The general consensus seems to be that it would be good for children over 10. 🙂
I would agree with the consensus, but i dont like following the crowd so i will say good for over 9’s. 🙂 haha
HA! Always the rebel.
😉 Cant help myself…
Fairies make a racket when they sing. I know because at night they gather at the foot of my bed and practise. That’s why I keep a fly swatter handy.
that in itself could make a children’s story
I know, it is such a shame he doesn’t like children, although I don’t think he would mind capitalizing on them. 🙂
Heh, I have heard it said that you need not like chilcren to be a successful children’s author, but it helps to be able to run fast when the fans see you…
I’m sure he would become the world’s fastest sprinter if he had to in order to avoid them lol. 🙂
I bet the poor things don’t even know what hit them.
So lovely Cubby, full of great imagery, I can definitely see this in a children’s book of blue pages with eye-popping art work. You make me want to climb tall trees 🙂
Thank you for such kind words. The problem with being a cat is that once I climb up, I’m too scared to climb back down. 🙂
This is amazing,m breathtaking and beautiful, however,I am a bit unsure if it would appeal to really little childred. I think it is perfect however for kids somewhere around 10 years or older or younger a little. Dunno if I am making sence, but the poem is trully really dreamlike and beuatiful, gentle and with vivid liquid images.
Thank you so much for your reply and such generous words! I agree that children around 10 would probably be the best age group for this. It makes me very happy you like this as it is one of my personal favorites. 🙂
Wasn’t Tinkerbell a fairy?
Yes, Tinkerbell was a fairy, but I think she lives in Neverland.
love this poem….specially this line “I long to stroke a comet’s tail
Impetuous in flight,”…. 🙂
So glad you liked it! 🙂
what a beautiful poem. i wish i could write like you 🙂
I think your style of writing is very lovely. 🙂
Hi. I have worked with children aged two to twelve for years, just so you know where these thoughts came from. As the poem is, I can see ten to fifteen year olds relating to it. For an artistic exploration of it though, I read it and tried to visualize it as a children’s book. The concept of longing (versus dreaming or wanting or wishing) seemed too abstract. If you’d wanted the dreaming concept for younger children more concrete (yet whimsical) imagery might work it. Visual stuff, like riding on a butterfly’s wing. If you were seriously thinking of making a children’s book these parts of the poem definitely had the basis for imagery that would rock at a younger level:
I Long to Climb
I long to climb into the sky
On steps of wisp and smoke,
I long to feel the sweet caress
Of heaven’s velvet cloak.
I long to shoo the honeyed rays
From shadow’s hungry tooth.
I long to hear the faeries sing
Conducted by the moon,
I long to stroke a comet’s tail
Impetuous in flight,
I long to whisper in the dark
Of dreams beyond the night.
If you really are interested in making it a book, I hope that helps. If you were just being whimsical and feel bogged down now, abject apologies and feel free to tell me to sod off.
You hit the nail on the head with the difference between the concepts of longing and dreaming/wanting/wishing. Longing definitely is more abstract in comparison, although it would be rather funny to hear a young child say, “I long for a cookie.”
I appreciate you taking my question so seriously. I was hoping the poem might be okay for a children’s book, but I am happy with the way it is currently. I can see now that it is more from the perspective of an adult longing for innocence and beauty, which makes sense as I wrote it from my own perspective and not from that of a child’s.
I do not usually have children in mind when I write poetry, but I think it will make all the difference if I do if I want them as a viable audience. Thank you so much for your time and practical suggestions. 🙂
ah, but a cookie can be longed for with ease. A child who would, on the other hand, long for an idyllic afternoon neath the balmy skies aside the slow ambulating pacing of the river….and actually SAY it in those words, would floor me (though i remember, as a child, a poem I loved spoke of sylvan glades and though I had no clue what sylvan even meant, I loved the sound)
you COULD take what you have, the adult poem, and create with its basis the children’s book poem, and have the flavour of both pies for enjoying 🙂
Yeah, that’s what I was hoping for…different levels of interpretation. Ultimately, I guess it would be up to the editors to decide if they think it would appeal to children or not. 🙂
An illustrated poetry book? I believe it’s well worth the try. 🙂
Thank you belsbror! That’s nice to hear. 🙂
You have the gift of words. 🙂
As do you. 🙂
As usual, beautifully done.
I I would envisage this being included in a book for children aged from 8 or 9 upwards. Others have already mentioned that words may resonate with us in poetry even while we may not use those same words in every day speech. The whole purpose is to communicate an idea and do it in such a way that the reader is moved and understands the essence of what is being said. I think we do children a disservice by imagining that they would not understand either the idea or be able to say/read the poem aloud.
I do ‘analysis’ of poetry with children from as young as 4 up to 12 in school and beyond, with my own children. Many of the poems included within anthologies or in comprehension texts are ones that challenge and allow for discussion of the language and the content.
As your poem flows so well it would also be suitable as a ‘homework’ activity to learn.
If you have no objection, I would be more than happy to use this poem with my class tomorrow. We have been working on an acrostic poem today about the water cycle. Evaporation, condensation, precipitation were all used and understood by the class – 7 and 8 year olds.
I would copy this to my pen drive and display it on the white board in class, read it to the children, identify any difficult words, discuss what they meant in context here as well as elsewhere and then have the children read it together.
If you would be ok with this, I could give you more accurate feedback based on their reception/reaction/understanding of it. I would, of course, attribute it to ‘Cubby’, the poetic cat.x
Sheesh! It’s just dawned on me. You may not want your poems ‘out there’ yet. Keeping them for the book. The rest still applies. 🙂 x
Wow. Yeah… I’d say this is suitable for a picture book.
I was hoping that it would be. 🙂
very nice 🙂
Thank you kindly. 🙂
absolutely
ahh so beautiful! I’d love to join you any day 🙂
I would love it if you did! I’m good at climbing up but not so good at climbing back down. 😉
First let me say this is lovely! I want to go there 🙂
Secondly, I do not know why you think adults would not like it/be receptive. I personally would LOVE an illustrated book of poetry.
Thirdly, I think this would be wonderful for children as well… as someone above said don’t sell the kiddies short. They will pick up on more than you might think and the words/ideas they do not understand can be explained or looked up…so it can broaden little minds and vocabularies.
I read Melville and Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe in Elementary school…I did understand all of it but I loved it…the feel of it, the difference from my own life experiences… it caused me to READ more and become friends with a dictionary 🙂
Poe and Melville I can understand, but Shakespeare in elementary school?? That’s incredible. I didn’t even like reading Shakespeare in high school. I agree with you though about kids being able to pick up on more than we adults may think. It is interesting to read different opinions on this, and I’m sure much of it stems from our own experiences with the books we read as children. You were one amazing kid to be drawn so early to the greats! It’s little wonder you write so beautifully now. 🙂
A beautiful dreaming into
Thank you kindly 🙂
Your open heart sends arrows of awakening into this world
I like this…sort of like a mystical bucket list!:) I would see this with late teens to young adult indeed!! Very very nice….you and Scottie can have Hugh…I just want to fly in the sky:)
To fly in the sky would be such a wonderful thing. 🙂
I can envision this poem accompanied by an illustration in a picture book, for sure! I agree that very young children might not understand all of the concepts, but I also think some young children would get it. I could see myself having read and understood something like this in 4th grade or so. Also, what publishers are you looking in to? I know some publishers are wary of accepting work that is available on a person’s personal blog because the work is considered as “previously published” and if it’s already freely available to read they will not buy the rights to market and distribute it … just food for thought.
I have also heard this about some publishers and blogs, but I haven’t come across this stipulation yet with publishers of children’s picture books. This may be because illustrations play such a big role in the final product, and I think children prefer physical books over a computer screen. I’m glad you could see this poem in a picture book for students in the Grade 4 range. 🙂