The Spinning Earth

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Today we introduce the first of what may become a regular feature around here: a random poem. I encountered this one way back in time (first grade perhaps, or kindergarten), and never really thought I’d be able to track it down, but found it a few years ago by typing some of its concepts into a search engine. Ain’t the interweb great?

The Spinning Earth
Aileen Fisher

The earth, they say,
spins round and round.
It doesn’t look it
from the ground,
and never makes
a spinning sound.

And water never
swirls and swishes
from oceans full
of dizzy fishes,
and shelves don’t lose
their pans and dishes.

And houses don’t go whirling by,
or puppies swirl around the sky,
or robins spin instead of fly.

It may be true
what people say
about one spinning
night and day…
but I keep wondering, anyway.

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  1. 1 Ava Miedzinski Nov 2nd, 2005 at 7:10 pm

    I love Aileen Fisher’s poems. My favorite is called “House” and in it, she pictures houses like faces. She is a special poet. She won the second award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 1978.

  2. 2 Anonymous Mar 9th, 2006 at 2:35 am

    Dutton suitors spreading enraging fostering lattices selectively.

  3. 3 Nonya Buisness Jun 8th, 2006 at 10:55 pm

    I love this poem!!!!!

  4. 4 Megan Baker Jul 21st, 2007 at 5:09 am

    I read this poem in the festival of music and speech, and won first place!
    It’s a great poem.
    I am going to read it again later this year to help raise money for this festival.
    Megan Baker aged 8yrs.

  5. 5 Firas Jul 21st, 2007 at 7:49 am

    That’s awesome, Megan! Way to go!

  6. 6 mgt O 'h. Jan 9th, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    I absolutely love this poem >my class of 8-9 year olds adored it .found it clever 7 easy to recite.Wish i could get my hands on more of ms. Fisher’s material .it really helped in my science lesson about our planet earth

  7. 7 Margret O Halloran Nov 22nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    Hi there ,
    I too love this poem-I teach 7-8yr olds in Tipperary Ireland.it ties in so nicely with our geography & science lessons.I would welcome any other suggestions for poems for this age group,Margaret

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