Tic-Tac-Toe Tactics
X was a tic-tac-toe expert.
O had a tic-tac-toe knack.
X challenged O to a battle.
O challenged X right back.
X played a quick-witted trick,
O laid a tactical trap.
X took its tick-tock time,
O tapped its toe tip-tap.
X planned to go toe-to-toe,
O wondered where to go next.
X launched its total attack:
soon all the spots would be X’d!
O was exhausted with fighting,
O wanted friends, not a foe,
O ticked a vote for a truce,
and O! That was three in a row!
O had a tic-tac-toe knack.
X challenged O to a battle.
O challenged X right back.
X played a quick-witted trick,
O laid a tactical trap.
X took its tick-tock time,
O tapped its toe tip-tap.
X planned to go toe-to-toe,
O wondered where to go next.
X launched its total attack:
soon all the spots would be X’d!
O was exhausted with fighting,
O wanted friends, not a foe,
O ticked a vote for a truce,
and O! That was three in a row!
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.
