Wynken, Blyken and Nod by Eugene Field

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe---
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"
The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!"
Said Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea---
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish---
Never afeard are we";
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.

All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam---
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home;
'T was all so pretty a sail it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought 't was a dream they 'd dreamed
Of sailing that beautiful sea---
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one's trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.

NOTE: This has to be the most popular poems I perform. At the very least one of my elders knows this poem. Smiles are abound when I begin this piece. I can imagine their childhoods, wrapped in old quilts and evening fires as this poem is being read by either a parent or a sibling. An evening hour much like the ones my oldest son Oren and I share.

After two or three books Oren will ask me for a story and every once in while this poem will capture his imagination again. And at the age of five he's beginning to recite the lines he's familiar with.

Use your face expressively for this poem. Really bring out the fantasy through over exaggerated movements and inflections of tone. Move freely so the elders can try and follow you as much as possible. Dance with them if you wish. This poem is to be a very playful and childlike in its delivery. Make that your focus and you'll find this may become your favorite piece as well.