I got to the Seventh Avenue Barnes and Noble late because it’s hard getting two fourth graders out of the house when they’re having a great playdate.

But get there we did. And by 5:45, there was a standing room only crowd in the basement near the cookbooks.

The kids were having a great time. As was the MC, PS 321 parent John Elrodt, who did a superb job in that role. Funny, enthusiastic, and encouraging to each kid as he/she made his way up to the microphone, John gave them the choice between a PS 321 baseball cap or a beret to wear while they read.

No one had a problem with that. The kids seem to love reading their poems. Some read LOUD. Some read soft. Some had MEMORIZED their poems. Some had not.

It was a beautiful thing. To hear the expression of these kids in such a free, fun, and open way. The opposite of pretentious: the event was inclusive, inviting, and very inventive.

The audience cheered, clapped, and snapped their fingers (in faux beatnik style) after each reader. Some of the poems were from this year’s Pandamonium, the school’s poetry magazine, which includes a poem from every child in the school. A couple of parents got up and read poems they had memoirzed at children or written themselves.

Fourth grader, Charlie Schine, read his Pandamonium poem:

IMAGINE THAT by Charlie Schine

Observing kids imagine
They don’t see me
Their imagination
has overtaken them
They’re running through lava
or falling from big heights
or maybe even going back
in time
I remember that
because I too
had a huge imagination
that overtook me
We all had huge imaginations
Then it starts
to fade
like smoke.
As your age goes up
your imagination
goes down
but some people
are fortunate
Some adults have their imagination
still
They are the lucky ones
The ones that keep their imaginations
And here’s some important advice
for you
Don’t ever
forrce yourself
not to imagine
If you do
you might
Never
imagine
Again
Imagine That