
Reproducibles: Poetry for Physical Education - We Can't Run Today
Two young girls together,
Came rushing across the yard;
Their angry eyes were flashing,
Hoping to catch me off my guard.
"We just won't run today,
'Cause it might rain," they felt;
"We just saw a raindrop,
And we fear we may melt."
"Now just call our mothers,"

"And they will tell you,
We've been horribly sick."
"The last time we ran,
Our ankles got broke;
Mr. Riley, quit laughin',
That's true, it's no joke."
"And our Doctors told us,
Running's bad for the heart;
It steals blood from our brains,
And that's why we're not smart."
The excuses they came,
At a rapid fire pace;
When one didn't work,
Another came in its place;
"The weather's too cold out,
I'll throw up on the floor;
We'll probably pass out,
If we run any more."
"Our knees they are achin',
We're coming down with the flu;
Mr. Riley, please believe us,
It's all very true."
On and on and on,
The young ladies' mouths went;
Until at long last,
Their verbiage was spent;
They had tears in their eyes,
And a cute little pout;
They were thanked for their sharing,
"Now girls, please dress out."
"I've heard all the excuses,
So this poem I wrote;
If you really can't run kids,
Then just bring me a note."
Dr. Jim Riley
Originally published in 2008, Physical Education Update, www.peUpdate.com
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