Copy Cat
©1991 Susan Noyes Anderson
My little brother copies me.
He does just what I do.
He lugs around a baseball bat
and wears my shinguards too.
Family Relationship Poems
My heart is most pleased and blessed by family and family relationship poems, for they are closest to my heart. Some of these offerings are funny, moving, nostalgic, or religious. Others are more complex, refusing (as families themselves do) to fit neatly under any one characterization. My poems value the complexity of every family relationship and respect those who honor and uphold it. I hope you find something that resonates with you here. May the poems evoke feelings (delightful and occasionally less so) that we all associate with being part of a family.
FINDING THE POEM YOU WANT: As you scroll through this section, simply read each snippet sample (usually the first four lines) to get a feel for the poem. When you find something you like, click “CONTINUE READING” to view the entire poem.
(My work may be used free for non-commercial purposes only. Please request permission by email and include full copyright information, legibly printed, on every copy made. For internet use, a link back to the poem on this website is required.)
Bathtime Buddies
©1995 Susan Noyes Anderson
When baby brother took a bath,
I used to get in, too.
I’d help my mommy hold him up
while he got his shampoo.
Potty Trainer
©1998 Susan Noyes Anderson, Miles of Smiles, Meadowbrook Press
My brother’s being potty trained.
I’m really very glad.
Changing diapers isn’t fun, and
messy pants smell bad.
Guess What!
©1981 Susan Noyes Anderson
What’s the most important thing of all?
It’s sometimes big and sometimes small.
It’s full of girls (or maybe boys)
and makes an awful lot of noise.
No Fair!
©1991 Susan Noyes Anderson
The baby spits, and mother smiles.
If I spit, she gets mad.
She shakes her head when I burp but
when baby burps, she’s glad.
Excuse the Mess
©1991 Susan Noyes Anderson
Why does my mother have to say,
“Go clean your room?” It wrecks my day.
“Go clean your room!” she says to me.
“There’s clothes where carpet used to be,
and games and books on top of those,
and snacks starting to decompose!
Rise and Shine – Not! (for teens)
©1997 Susan Noyes Anderson, At The End of Your Rope, There’s Hope, Deseret Book
Don’t wake me up.
Don’t pound my door.
I need more sleep.
I need much more.
Natural Disaster
©1981 by Susan Noyes Anderson
The house was resting on a slant
(perhaps a cracked foundation).
Inside a scene of chaos
and total devastation.