Chocolate mustache is from a line in the book. It's my favorite title (chosen by me), so I'm pleased that Never Spit was tossed.

Spotted Park Bench I am a park bench. Ordinary words cannot express my thoughts on birds.

I have always believed that poems beg to be read aloud, even if the reader is in a world all her own.

The Ladybug wears no disguises. She is just what she advertises. A speckled spectacle of spring, A fashion statement on the wing.... A miniature orange kite. A tiny dot-to-dot delight.

Poetry is frosted fire.

Poetry is the tunnel at the end of the light.

The laureateship [of U.S. Children's Poet] has brought me a couple of appealing contracts, including my first anthology, the 200-poem The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry.Apart from the increased travel, I won't let anything interfere with writing poetry.

Please bury me in the library With a dozen long-stemmed proses

A great book is a homing device For navigating paradise. A good book somehow makes you care About the comfort of a chair. A bad book owes to many trees A forest of apologies.

Poetry is perfect verbs hunting for elusive nouns.

I won't be sad too often, If they bury me in the library With bookworms in my coffin.