Let’s Make a Map
First I’ll draw a seashell:
that will be my home.
And next to me the ice cream shop,
I’ll just draw a cone.
Now I’ll draw some flowers.
Sure, they’re big as trees—
they have to be, after all,
it’s where my T-rex sleeps.
We’ll need some buried treasure
so let’s add an X or two.
Plus a question mark to mark
where mysteries might loom.
Since we make the rules we need
no barriers or borders,
just passageways connecting us
by holes and magic portals.
And of course no map can be
complete without a key.
Let’s draw it in the margins where
the mermaids play at sea.
My map keeps growing bigger,
soon I’ll need another paper!
But first, another seashell
(that’s for you, my neighbor).
that will be my home.
And next to me the ice cream shop,
I’ll just draw a cone.
Now I’ll draw some flowers.
Sure, they’re big as trees—
they have to be, after all,
it’s where my T-rex sleeps.
We’ll need some buried treasure
so let’s add an X or two.
Plus a question mark to mark
where mysteries might loom.
Since we make the rules we need
no barriers or borders,
just passageways connecting us
by holes and magic portals.
And of course no map can be
complete without a key.
Let’s draw it in the margins where
the mermaids play at sea.
My map keeps growing bigger,
soon I’ll need another paper!
But first, another seashell
(that’s for you, my neighbor).
This poem is copyright (©) Stefan Karlsson 2025
About the Writer
Stefan Karlsson
Stefan is a poet and artist based in Portland, Oregon. He received his MFA in Poetry from the University of California-Irvine. His poems (for children) have appeared in The Dirigible Balloon, Paddler Press, Little Thoughts Press, and Tyger Tyger Magazine. His paper marbling artwork can be found on Instagram @nautiluspaper, and his poetry for kids can be found on Twitter @stefkidlit and on YouTube @StefanKidsPoetry.
