[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 56 (Thursday, May 7, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                YOUNG NOAH FRANK'S POEM ``I WANT TO BE''

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 7, 1998

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, in honor of National Poetry Month, I would 
like to take this opportunity to congratulate a young constituent of 
mine, Noah Frank, who recently won the grand prize for his age group in 
the national ``River of Words'' competition for his poem ``I Want to 
Be.''
  Noah Frank, a second-grader at Lakeshore Elementary School in San 
Francisco, displays in his poem remarkable wit and maturity, as well as 
a concrete grasp of the English language. Most importantly, however, 
his poem poignantly expresses the joy of exploring our world through 
the imagination.
  I can't think of a better theme for National Poetry Month. Through 
poetry we exercise not only the vitality of language and thought; we 
exercise our imaginations. It is our imaginations that allow us to 
wonder.

                              I Want to Be

     I want to be a dogfish
     and catch a leaping catfish
     with whiskers as long as a stream.
     And I want to be
     the rain trinkling down on the world
     telling it it's springtime.

     

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