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Turkey poems are a wonderful way to capture the spirit of Thanksgiving and share in the joy of the season.
From funny and lighthearted to inspiring and heartfelt, turkey poems offer a range of ways to express gratitude and appreciation for the blessings in our lives.
Whether you are looking for famous poems on turkey to recite at your holiday gathering, or a short and sweet poem to share with your preschooler there are many options to choose from.
By engaging with turkey poetry, we can tap into the rich cultural and spiritual traditions of Thanksgiving and connect with the joy and gratitude that make this time of year so special.
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Funny Turkey Poems
Funny turkey poems can add some laughter to your Thanksgiving celebration. So add giggles to your happy day with these interesting poems about turkey.
1. A Thanksgiving Dinner
by Maude M. Grant
Take a turkey, stuff it fat,
Some of this and some of that.
Get some turnips, peel them well.
Cook a big squash in its shell.
Now potatoes, big and white,
Mash till they are soft and light.
Cranberries, so taste and sweet,
With the turkey we must eat.
Pickles-yes-and then, oh my!
For a dessert, a pumpkin pie.
Golden brown and spicy sweet.
What a fine Thanksgiving treat!
2. May Your Stuffing be Tasty
by Funny-Jokes
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes
and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your
pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your
thighs!
3. The Turkey Shot Out of The Oven
by Jack Prelutsky
The turkey shot out of the oven
And rocketed into the air,
It knocked every plate off the table
And partly demolished a chair.
4. Thank Goodness It’s Only Once A Year
by Jan Allison
Turkey so dry that I can’t speak
Brussel sprouts boiled for a week
Roast potatoes burnt to a crisp
Lumpy gravy
I feel
Sic
5. The Turkey And The Trimmings in Swift
by Preservationman
I just saw a Turkey and an oven running down Main Street
The Turkey being the main treat
The oven determined not be a defeat
Trimmings revenge in retreat
The Turkey continues to run
Well the oven and trimmings are all out of breath from so much fun
But they don’t know we are nowhere near done
The oven in a fiery turn
Done or not that Turkey is going to be a cooked urn
But according to a Main Street witness, they saw a Turkey running with a surprised look
Cameras were ready in took
So much for food for thought
Now what meat will be sought?
However, the Turkey is the tradition
I am on my own Turkey catching mission
After that bird!
You heard!
I caught that Turkey trying to escape
All I had to do was act like an ape
The Turkey is finally in the oven
It’s 9:00 AM for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to start
Step away from the kitchen and make your mark
A day to give thanks, but on Thanksgiving, I refuse to serve franks.
6. Wild Turkey
by Heid E. Erdrich
Not the bottle
Not the burn on the lips
lit throat glow
Not even wild really
but a small-town bird
whose burgundy throat
shimmers like nothing ever
A huge bird impressive
who lurches and stalks me
window to window in this
desert retreat
What does he want?
Clearly he is lonely
pecks his reflection
and speaks to it in a low gubble
(not gobble) gubbles so tenderly
Soon as I think of him his eye hits on me
We have watched each other for days
His shifting colors fascinate me his territorial strut
But it is his bald and blue-red head
his old man habits and gait that move me
If I even think of him I taste whiskey
Drunk on solitude I’d talk to anybody
I try his language on my lips
His keen response burns like shame
7. Tom Turkey’s Lament
by Lovin Charmer
Knock! Knock! Knock! Who’s at the door?
Why it’s Tom Turkey with his feathers galore.
Come right in Tom, Please stay for dinner,
We would just love to serve you with toasted capers.
Ole’ Tom looked at Ma with a quizzical look.
Wondering why she was trying to hide that big meat hook.
He shifted his weight trying to look around Ma
But he couldn’t see around her enormous bra.
Ma had a strange evil glistening look in her eyes,
As she pictured Tom on a plate with golden brown thighs.
Tom really began sweating like he had a fever,
when he saw Pa sneaking behind Ma, with a meat cleaver.
Tom stood there shivering trying to look real thin,
Because he finally realized dinner was him.
With a nervous Gulp, and a death defying squawk,
He turn tailed and ran, down the long walk.
Fanning his tail and running as fast as he could
He finally reached the outer edge of the woods.
Vowing never again to stray or leave the forest floor,
Because you never know what’s behind,
One of Those Darn Doors!
8. Turkey, Turkey
by Anonymous
Turkey, Turkey,
full and fat.
November’s near.
You’ll soon go splat!
They’ll roast you up
and slice you thin.
Oh, what a mess
you’re surely in.
Mixed with stuffing
and some sauce.
It’s plain to see
the cook is boss.
But what would truly
give you joy. . .
would be a turkey
made of soy!
Famous Turkey Poems
Famous poems about turkey can offer a touch of nostalgia and a shared sense of cultural heritage. So let’s dive into them!
1. Albuquerque Turkey
by Anonymous
Albuquerque is a turkey
And he’s feathered and he’s fine
And he wobbles and he gobbles
and he’s absolutely mine.
He’s the best pet that you can get.
Better than a dog or cat.
He’s my Albuquerque turkey
And I’m awfully proud of that.
He once told me, very frankly
He preferred to be my pet,
Not the main course at my dinner,
And I told him not to fret.
And my Albuquerque turkey
Is so happy in his bed,
‘Cause for our Thanksgiving dinner..
We had egg foo yong instead.
2. I Ate Too Much Turkey
by Jack Prelutsky
I ate too much turkey,
I ate too much corn,
I ate too much pudding and pie,
I’m stuffed up with muffins
and much too much stuffin’,
I’m probably going to die.
I piled up my plate
and I ate and I ate,
but I wish I had known when to stop,
for I’m so crammed with yams,
sauces, gravies, and jams
that my buttons are starting to pop.
I’m full of tomatoes
and french fried potatoes,
my stomach is swollen and sore,
but there’s still some dessert,
so I guess it won’t hurt
if I eat just a little bit more.
3. When Daddy Carves the Turkey
by Anonymous
When Daddy carves the turkey,
It is really quite a sight,
I know he tries his hardest,
But he never does it right.
He makes a fancy show of it,
Before he starts to carve,
And stabs in all directions,
While we’re certain that we’ll starve.
He seems to take forever,
As we sit and shake our heads,
By the time he’s finished slicing,
He’s reduced the birds to shreds.
He yells as loud as thunder,
Just before he’s finally through
For when Daddy carves the turkey,
Daddy carves his finger too!
4. Roast Turkey
by Diseased Mind
See me now as I fall
Know you pushed me off
See the bones, the blood, the guts
Splattered as I shatter
Another broken hollow bird
Collapsed on cement paths
Fallen from steel towers tall
Cutting through the sky
Feathers exploding drift on down
Charred remains of the dove,
The nightingale silenced at last
Amidst a war crying to be fought
Stare triumphant at my flattened corpse
Surrealistically red against white
So far from the societal norm
That which I’d strived to never be
And now I never shall, thank you
5. Turkey Surprise
by Debbie Embrey
Tom went to see a seer
to see what he could see
only to discover
turkeys don’t get in for free
It would take two feathers
and a cloud of dust
just to discover
stuffing is a must
Tom thought she was nuts
her and that crystal ball
too expensive
as she seemed to want it all
She then hired a cook
an expert in baking
fees now include
hard boiled eggs for the taking
Tom went to see a seer
but hence he found a quack
insisted he’d get a refund
he wanted it all back
The seer sat there in shock
as she looked into his eyes
it was the seer who then
got the turkey surprise
He knocked her out cold
and stuffed an apple in place
rammed her buns in the oven
had a smile upon his face
With a smile that lit up Tom’s eyes
it was the seer that got the surprise
6. Turkey
by Shel Silverstein
Only ate one drumstick
At the picnic dance this summer,
Just one little drumstick–
They say I couldn’t be dumber.
One tough and skinny drumstick,
Why was that such a bummer?
But everybody’s mad at me,
Especially the drummer.
7. Turkey in the Straw
by Anonymous
Do the turkey hop, do the turkey run
Do the turkey gobble,
Oh, its lots of fun!
Now flap your wings,
Like the turkeys do –
Run from the farmer
Before she catches you.
Inspirational Turkey Poems
Inspirational poems about turkey can remind us of the deeper meaning of the holiday and inspire us to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.
1. Turkey
by Joe Scruggs
There’s a turkey in the back yard and he’s really getting fat.
There’s a turkey in the back yard and he’s really getting fat.
There’s a turkey in the back yard and he’s really getting fat.
‘Cause he eats corn all day.
Chorus:
I don’t want to eat the turkey,
I don’t want to eat the turkey,
I don’t want to eat the turkey,
On Thanksgiving Day.
We bought him from a former and he’s now become my pet…
And he comes when I call his name.
My mother’s on a diet and she should be eating fish…
So my turkey may get to stay.
I hid my daddy’s hatchet in the woodshed out in back…
So my turkey will get to stay.
1. Two Turkeys
by Anonymous
We have two turkeys at our house
’cause mom and gramma fight.
Neither one of them believes
The other roasts it right.
There’s also two of stuffing,
Two of home-made berry sauce.
Let’s face it, there are two of each,
’cause both of them are boss.
We eat it all, some food from both,
In order to be nice.
We also make quite sure that when
We burp – that we burp twice!
2. If a Turkey Will Make a Wish
by Eva Adolfo
If a turkey will make a wish
It would be a long, long list.
It will give you all sorts of reasons
To change that turkey tradition.
It will wish you change your mind
Of having a turkey when you dine.
It will wish you’ll crave for seafood
Or tell you crabs would be good!
It will wish you have a toothache
So mashed potato is what you’ll pick.
Or wish that on Thanksgiving Dinner
Only vegetarians will come together.
Yet, people come and they insist,
“A turkey dish is just the best!”
Poor turkey, it will just yell,
“Oh dear, please take away the
November in a year!”
4. Six Little Turkeys
by Anonymous
Six little turkeys that I once knew,
Fat ones, skinny ones there were too.
But the one little turkey with the funny red wattle,
He led the others with his gobble, gobble, gobble.
Gobble, gobble, gobble,
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
He led the others with his gobble, gobble, gobble.
Over the rocks and through the trees,
Turkeys wobbling in the breeze.
But the one little turkey with the funny red wattle,
He led the others with his gobble, gobble, gobble.
Gobble, gobble, gobble,
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
He led the others with his gobble, gobble, gobble.
5. Baba Big Cheese Ain’t No Turkey
by Alexander Shaumyan
Baba Big Cheese ain’t no turkey—
He’s the ascendant master
Of mood kinetics,
Who probes his inner thighs
And clarifies his thoughts,
While sharing his insights
And reviewing his direction
As he synaptically and
Telepathically
Connects with his
Audience—
Baba Big Cheese knows
Every little trick
In the secret black book—
He’s mastered
The universal law of
Libidinal attraction
As he feels out the vibes
Of his female disciples,
Feeling the heat of his
Transforming erection
Rising like an inspiration
Of his polymorphous muse—
Baba Big Cheese is interesting
To watch at nighttime
In the late moon hours
When the sky is dark
And the crowd is drunk
With all sorts of mad
Visions and wisdoms
Borne out of alcohol
And translucent
Angels cascading from
Heavens, with whom
Baba Big Cheese
Communes on a daily basis,
Sitting on a park bench
And watching little children
Being clutched by their
Mothers, warning them of
Long haired metaphysical
Perverts, looking for
Action
Short Turkey Poems
Short poetries about turkey are perfect for sharing with young children as they are simple and easy to read but just about anyone can enjoy them on the go!
1. Funny Bird
by Anonymous
A turkey is a funny bird,
Its head goes wobble, wobble,
All it knows is just one word,
“Gobble, gobble, gobble.”
2. Turkey Warning
by Anonymous
Tell me, Mr. Turkey,
Don’t you feel afraid
When you hear us talking
‘Bout the plans we’ve made?
Can’t you hear us telling
How we’re going to eat
Cranberries and stuffing
With our turkey meat?
Turkey, heed my warning:
Better fly away;
Or you will be sorry
On Thanksgiving Day.
3. Did You Ever See A Turkey?
by Anonymous
Did you ever see a turkey a turkey a turkey
Did you ever see a turkey go this way and that
Go this way and that way and this way and that way
Did you ever see a turkey go this way and that?
4. Herky-Jerky
by Linda Alice Fowler
First the cornbread now the turkey
his movements seemed herky-jerky
stuff a bird
think absurd
sounds to me a bit quirky
5. Hand Print Turkey
by Colies
I made this little turkey
so everyone can see
that I am very thankful
for the things you do for me!
6. One Little Turkey
by Anonymous
One little turkey
Made on my own
A little piece of me
For when I am grown.
7. If Turkeys Thought
If turkeys thought, they’d run away,
A week before Thanksgiving Day.
But turkeys can’t anticipate,
And so there’s turkey on my plate!
8. Turkey
by Meish Goldish
Let’s talk turkey!
What a walk it’s got!
Strut about, strut about,
Do the turkey trot!
Let’s talk turkey,
What a shaky wobble!
Strut about, strut about,
Gobble, gobble, gobble!
9. Turkey Dinner, Turkey Dinner
by Anonymous
Turkey dinner, turkey dinner
Gather round, gather round
Who will get the drumstick?
Yummy, yummy drumstick
All sit down, all sit down.
Cornbread, muffins,
Chestnuts, stuffing,
Pumpkin pie, ten feet high.
We were all much thinner, before we sat for dinner!
Me, oh, my! Me, oh, my!
10. If You’re Happy and You Know It
by Anonymous
Hello, Mr. Turkey how are you?
Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you?
His feet go wobble, wobble
And his head goes Gobble, Gobble.
Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you?
Long Turkey Poems
Long poetries about turkey and more complex pieces can offer a nuanced exploration of the themes of gratitude and appreciation.
1. The Wild Turkey
by Isaac Mclellan
These noble birds that did abound
Innumerous over Northern ground―
Victims so oft to northern sport―
Now seek in southern realms resort;
In Mexico, in Texas State,
Their numbers are supremely great.
Where strutting, gobbling flocks are seen,
Most frequent in the forests green,
And there oft thunder-like are heard,
The flappings of the turkey bird.
Seek them where gloomy shadows fall
Beneath the woodland dim and tall;
In the dense alder-brakes, or where
The dark pines lift their spears in air,
Where slow or winding rivulet creeps,
Or swift thro’ bushy ravine sweeps.
Hid in tall grass that spreads around,
Your call deceptive, faintly sound,
And soon you hear each answering note,
From the embowering thickets float;
Soon will perceive the cautious game
Step forth―then steady be your aim.
A hunter, ere the dawning day,
Flushes with blaze the forest’s way,
Selects his ambush near a wood,
Where roosting, rest the noble brood.
‘Tis lovely morn of early spring,
That gilds the earth with blossoming;
The violets and daisies white,
Enamel earth with colorings bright,
The red-buds with their pinkish spray,
Entwine the trees with garlands gay;
The humid air holds odors still,
Of wild-plum blooms o’er plain and hill,
While snowy dogwood blossoms cling
To branch, the bridal-wreaths of Spring.
Then all the wood-bowers teem with life,
With wild-wood melodies, are rife,
Then sudden from a dense tree top,
On dashing wing the turkeys drop,
Skim in wide circles down the air,
Then sink to earth the feast to share,
While quick the fowler’s shot is heard
And bleeding, struggling dies the bird.
2. Father’s Bad Record
by Edgar A. Guest
You’ve heard a lot about the time
That father carved the duck,
And how the bird jumped off the plate
And father cursed his luck.
Since then he’s never had a chance
To test his carving skill,
For mother always wields the knife.
And mother always will.
Somehow, when mother carves a goose,
A turkey or a roast.
She wastes no time, as father would,
In idle jest or boast;
But straightway goes about the task,
And no one has to wait
For mother to reclaim the bird
Because it leaves the plate.
She separates the joints with ease,
She knows just where they are;
For her it doesn’t seem hard work
The way it is with pa.
The gravy does not fly about
And scatter far and near;
When mother starts to carve the duck
There’s not a thing to fear.
Poor father says he keenly feels
That he is in disgrace;
He often begs of mother to
Let him redeem his place.
But mother snubs him with a word,
Her will he cannot buck;
For she recalls to mind the day
That father carved the duck.
Thanksgiving Day has little charm
For father, for he knows
That he must watch while mother carves,
Remaining in repose.
He’s waited now for many years,
And prayed that she’d get stuck;
He wants to get another chance
To try to carve a duck.
Oh, how he wishes that her knife
Would suddenly let fly;
That she would make a slip, as he
Had made in years gone by;
That she would fail, as he had failed,
That she would meet his luck;
But nothing ever happens when
Our mother carves the duck.
3. Turkey-Cock
by D H Lawrence
YOU ruffled black blossom,
You glossy dark wind.
Your sort of gorgeousness,
Dark and lustrous
And skinny repulsive
And poppy-glossy,
Is the gorgeousness that evokes my most puzzled admiration.
Your aboriginality
Deep, unexplained,
Like a Red Indian darkly unfinished and aloof,
Seems like the black and glossy seeds of countless centuries.
Your wattles are the colour of steel-slag which has been red-hot
And is going cold,
Cooling to a powdery, pale-oxydised sky-blue.
Why do you have wattles, and a naked, wattled head?
Why do you arch your naked-set eye with a more-than comprehensible arrogance?
The vulture is bald, so is the condor, obscenely,
But only you have thrown this amazing mantilla of oxydised sky-blue
And hot red over you.
This queer dross shawl of blue and vermilion,
Whereas the peacock has a diadem.
I wonder why.
Perhaps it is a sort of uncanny decoration, a veil of loose skin.
Perhaps it is your assertion, in all this ostentation, of raw contradictoriness.
Your wattles drip down like a shawl to your breast
And the point of your mantilla drops across your nose, un-pleasantly.
Or perhaps it is something unfinished
A bit of slag still adhering, after your firing in the furnace of creation.
Or perhaps there is something in your wattles of a bull’s dew-lap
Which slips down like a pendulum to balance the throbbing mass of a generous breast,
The over-drip of a great passion hanging in the balance.
Only yours would be a raw, unsmelted passion, that will not quite fuse from the dross.
You contract yourself,
You arch yourself as an archer’s bow
Which quivers indrawn as you clench your spine
Until your veiled head almost touches backward
To the root-rising of your erected tail.
And one intense and backward-curving frisson
Seizes you as you clench yourself together
Like some fierce magnet bringing its poles together.
Burning, pale positive pole of your wattled head!
And from the darkness of that opposite one
The upstart of your round-barred, sun-round tail!
Whilst between the two, along the tense arch of your back
Blows the magnetic current in fierce blasts,
Ruffling black, shining feathers like lifted mail,
Shuddering storm wind, or a water rushing through.
Your brittle, super-sensual arrogance
Tosses the crape of red across your brow and down your breast
As you draw yourself upon yourself in insistence.
It is a declaration of such tension in will
As time has not dared to avouch, nor eternity been able to unbend
Do what it may.
A raw American will, that has never been tempered by life;
You brittle, will-tense bird with a foolish eye.
The peacock lifts his rods of bronze
And struts blue-brilliant out of the far East.
Rut watch a turkey prancing low on earth
Drumming his vaulted wings, as savages drum
Their rhythms on long-drawn, hollow, sinister drums.
The ponderous, sombre sound of the great drum of Huichi-lobos
In pyramid Mexico, during sacrifice.
Drum, and the turkey onrush
Sudden, demonic dauntlessness, full abreast,
All the bronze gloss of all his myriad petals
Each one apart and instant.
Delicate frail crescent of the gentle outline of white
At each feather-tip
So delicate;
Yet the bronze wind-well suddenly clashing
And the eye over-weening into madness.
Turkey-cock, turkey-cock
Are you the bird of the next dawn?
Has the peacock had his day, does he call in vain, screecher, for the sun to rise?
The eagle, the dove, and the barnyard rooster, do they call in vain, trying to wake the morrow?
And do you await us, wattled father, Westward?
Will your yell do it?
Take up the trail of the vanished American
Where it disappeared at the foot of the crucifix.
Take up the primordial Indian obstinacy,
The more than human, dense insistence of will,
And disdain, and blankness, and onrush, and prise open the new day with them?
The East a dead letter, and Europe moribund. . . . Is that so?
And those sombre, dead, feather-lustrous Aztecs, Amer-indians,
In all the sinister splendour of their red blood sacrifices,
Do they stand under the dawn, half-godly, half-demon, awaiting the cry of the turkey-cock?
Or must you go through the fire once more, till you’re smelted pure,
Slag-wattled turkey-cock,
Dross-jabot?
4. Tom the Turkey
by T Parry
Tom, Tom the golden one
Overweight and underdone
Giblets placed on either side
Eulogy I’ll now describe.
lived a lifetime in a year
Made a break and disappeared
Always taken as a fool
Abdicated from his rule
Should be dead sadly not
Tom he did the turkey trot
Hefty drumsticks spitting dust
Crispy with a golden crust.
Battered down the bedroom door
Came to settle up the score
Then the dotty grandma said
Tom just wants to get ahead.
Mother fainted on the spot
Father said the bird is hot
Children one two three four five
Screamed the turkeys still alive.
Exorcist was called to help
Said God knows I have my doubts
Raised a cross, mimed a hymn
Exorcised the beast within.
Tom he struck the vicar down
Battered him into the ground
Saw his chance and made a jump
Landed with a massive bump.
Next The farmer with his gun
Had the turkey on the run
Peppered Tom with burning lead
Cornered him behind the shed.
Never saw and never heard
Not a squawk or single word
One thing left…….farmer’s hat
Coated all in Turkey fat
Hungry hound’s were released
Dreaming of a turkey feast
Yelps would echo through the fog
Seems the bird had got the dog.
In those dark and distant hills
Tom they say is running still
Traps were set, bribes were paid
Warning signs are still displayed
Quorn and veg is how to go
Simply change your status quo
Play it safe and think ahead
Make sure that your turkeys dead.
With his drumsticks in a stew
Legend says old Tom ensues
Ending here this poultry tale
Of a murder that’s was fowl.
5. Terrible Tom, the Turkey Killer!
by Guilty
it began as a fowl against nature
effrontery against order
pesticide in the land
breed TOM the TURKEY
smarter than your average fowl
stronger than a hundred owls
gaining opposable thumbs
Tom only played dumb
when the Thanksgiving drew near
and the farmers grew to cheer
for the season meant lots of meat
that the counties families would eat
This Tom will not allow!
A misplaced ax without a doubt
Tables turned, the farmers shout
“Beware Tom’s Killer stout!”
Flying at amazing speeds
such flexibility needed to be seen
Unfortunately, Tom takes no prisoners.
He slashes and slays all who come his way
A humble vegan says “No, Not me!
I would never eat you…”
Stopped mid-sentence vocal cord slit
Tom says “you die for having not any taste!”
Wicked humor was his fate
for the body count grew at a rapid pace
with no one to feed them, the other animals revolted
not knowing the freedom they assaulted
for Tom was before his time
A jive turkey who spoke his mind
Horses hooved, cows cowered, pigs oinked
(between donut breaks, sorry couldn’t help it)
Chickens pecked and hens strutted
But the die was cast, Tom could not last
A lamp was kicked over in a barn
Who did it? there is no one to ask
all the animals were roasted
Rumor Tom was toasted…
drinking up all the Wild Turkey
legend has it that every Thanksgiving eve
You can look out your window and see
The ghost of Terrible Tom and the victims
Of his homicidal murdering spree…
7. Stuff a Turkey, Stuff a Suitcase, Stuff a Stocking!
by Terry Fitterer
Stockings hang on mantel piece,
All for children, one for each,
Wondering what Mother hid,
Santa ruse is just for kids.
No black licorice in my sock,
If there is I’ll holler “Fock”!
If I see an orange peanut,
I’ll go into shock—I mean it!
Fill my sock with fudge and Cheetos,
Golden earring for my pierced nose,
Nail polish- color ‘Awesome’,
Shampoo they call Apple Blossom.
Don’t stuff junk to make me tenser,
Like a stupid Pez dispenser,
Fill it up with something groovy,
Like a sexy foreign movie!
Just in case you don’t discover,
I could use a handsome lover,
Plus, I need an IPod badly,
But you can’t afford it-sadly.
Father thinks he’s pretty cool,
Playing Santa Claus each Yule,
Dad, just stuff my sock with money,
After all I’ll soon be twenty!
Still this ‘sock thing’ makes me happy,
Just don’t give me something crappy!
Or I’ll pout and start my whining,
And a big check you’ll be signing!
Well, I really should be wrapping,
While my brothers still are napping,
Secret wish just came to mind,
I sure could use a new ‘Behind’!!
It may sound like I’m quite needy,
But the fact is I’m just greedy,
We all know a stocking’s small,
Just face it, I can’t have it all!
8. That Good Shepherd
by Michaelw
How high, do turkey’ fly?
When compared
to the flight of an Eagle
the Albatross, a Drone
or an Angel?
And you… that human ‘being’
landed, grounded, static, laughable
pathetic; barely out of diapers, dumps
of carbon based tissue and salt water…
Utilizing an average of three percent of
your supposed and assumed ‘brain’s power’
and this barely keeps you breathing; and
therefore in simplistic definition
a coherent living organism!
As breathing appears
to be the much of nothing
that you each consider as the
number one definition of being conscious
of this predicament which is considered so…
So much of one’s surreal exist, that
one chance in your circumstance
a minute perchance, of living; if you will
in thought filled common sense…
Realize as a beginning, an ending
and more than just what or whom it is
you each think your selves to be…
“To be, or naught”
to think of thoughts, such as
‘how high do turkey’ fly’?
An eagle, an albatross, a drone; one angel
sitting together around a round table
watching turkeys fly…
Metaphor, hyperbole, analogy
just how high does one have to be
to visualize, just visualize, what this
maybe, brings one to see that darkening
parody, or paradox, or ‘Pandora’s Box’
or thinking’s pox…
Hoax, pun, scoff, or knock
does one awake and contemplate
or sleep and bleat as goats and sheep
when the shepherd is away
way further than what safety brings to
your contentment, calm, and munching’s ‘Zen’
a chew or two without fear, anxiety, or sin
when ‘that shepherd’ is without our within…
Turkey’ fly, Eagle’ soar, the Albatross glides
a Drone kills; that Angel peers
at the each of you human’ being
doing, acting; knowing that
oh so soon, that the laughable
pathetic, carbon based tissue
barely alive and breathing
mostly unconscious and behaving
chaotically and in a darkness of thoughtfulness
never reaching for togetherness
alone within a self-prophesied circumstance
have one last chance to return your selves
to the ideal of simple common sense
and realize that beginning, end, and happenstance
is within your selves, within your tinge
within your minds; and end your sins…
How high do turkey’ fly?
Turkey Poems That Rhyme
Turkey poems that rhyme can be fun to recite and easy to remember, so here are some poems about turkey with rhyming words that we collected for you.
1. Not Thankful
by Annette Wynne
I think the only person that
Is sorry that the Pilgrims came,
Is our great turkey, bold and fat,
And really he’s not much to blame.
What if they sailed across the blue,
And found a land for great and small,
Perhaps it’s lots of fun for you—
He never sees the fun at all!
So he’s not thankful that they came—
And really he’s not much to blame.
2. Five Little Turkeys
by Dltk’s Site For Kids
Five little turkeys standing at the door,
One waddled off, and then there were four.
Four little turkeys sitting near a tree,
One waddled off, and then there were three.
Three little turkeys with nothing to do,
One waddled off, and then there were two.
Two little turkeys in the morning sun,
One waddled off, and then there was one.
One little turkey better run away,
For soon it will be Thanksgiving Day.
3. Gobble, Hobble, and Wobble
by Catherine Pulsifer
Turkey, turkey, gobble, gobble
I ate so much I now hobble.
Thanksgiving dinner we give thanks
A day without any funny pranks.
We gather together, happy we are
Some of us came from afar.
To share in a feast set for a king
Oh, what a wonderful feeling.
And as we all wobble away
We give thanks for the great buffet.
We will gather again next year
We wish all the best to our family dear!
4. Thanksgiving Pies
by Catherine Pulsifer
Thanksgiving pies, they smell so good
Memories from my childhood
When Grandma baked the pies
They tasted better than french fries.
Thanksgiving is a time to share
But in my family who would dare
My brother has his homemade pie
And says, “You touch my plate, you will die.”
The conversation comes stops
As everyone likes their chops
Savoring that piece of pie
We finish with a sigh!
We have to wait another year
for Grandma’s pies we give three cheers.
It would not be Thanksgiving day
Without Grandma’s pie for the holiday
5. A Boy and His Stomach
by Edgar A. Guest
What’s the matter with you – ain’t I always been your friend?
Ain’t I been a partner to you? All my pennies don’t I spend
In gettin’ nice things for you? Don’t I give you lots of cake?
Say, stummick, what’s the matter that you had to go an’ ache?
Why, I loaded you with good things; yesterday I gave you more
Potatoes, squash an’ turkey than you’d ever had before.
I gave you nuts an’ candy, pumpkin pie an’ chocolate cake,
An’ las’ night when I got to bed you had to go an’ ache.
Say, what’s the matter with you – ain’t you satisfied at all?
I gave you all you wanted, you was hard jes’ like a ball,
An’ you couldn’t hold another bit of puddin’, yet las’ night
You ached mos’ awful, stummick; that ain’t treatin’ me jes’ right.
I’ve been a friend to you, I have, why ain’t you a friend o’ mine?
They gave me castor oil last night because you made me whine.
I’m awful sick this mornin’ an’ I’m feelin’ mighty blue,
Because you don’t appreciate the things I do for you.
6. We All Gather
by Catherine Pulsifer
We all gather for Thanksgiving dinner
Family we are, each one of us a winner.
Teasings and jesters are spread around
And others just act like true clowns.
Thanksgiving only comes once a year
I love my family, I truly think they are dear.
But you can go a little crazy if the time is too long
You see some of them think they can do no wrong.
And then there are those who break out in song
You want to stop and give them a gong.
Hugs and kisses at the end of the day
As Thanksgiving is over and we send them away.
7. Turkey Hot
by Anonymous
We cooked turkey, nice and hot,
Nice and hot, nice and hot.
We cooked turkey nice and hot
On Thanksgiving Day.
We eat turkey a whole lot,
A whole lot, a whole lot.
We eat turkey a whole lot.
It will not go away!
Sandwiches and soup are fine.
By the way, would you like mine?
Pot pie lasts a long, long time,
It’s turkey every day!
8. The Sad Turkey Gobbler
by Edwin Carty Ranck
O a fat turkey gobbler once sat on a limb
And he sighed at the wind, and the wind sighed at him.
But the grief of the gobbler one could not diminish,
for it was Thanksgiving and he saw his finish.
So the heart of the gobbler was heavy as lead
And he muttered the words of the poet who said:
“Backward, turn backward, O Time in thy flight,
Make me a boy again, just for to-night!”
9. Our Main Dish is Never, Ever Turkey!
by Anonymous
Thanksgiving is my favorite feast.
The table’s set, the napkins creased.
We always have a great big crowd
With uncles, aunts and children loud.
The grownups shoo us to our chairs
With pushing hands and parent stares.
We wait to eat — but this part’s quirky.
Our main dish is never, ever turkey!
Our grandpa will not eat this bird.
On this he gave his solemn word.
Years ago when he was young,
He vowed it not to pass his tongue.
As a boy, he lived beside
The rolling polish countryside.
The turkeys (this is so unkind)
Would chase and bite his small behind.
So even though it’s quite the norm,
He shuns the bird in every form.
I understand how Grandpa feels
And how it’s changed his life-long meals.
But me, I’d rather take attack.
Once a year, I’d bite them back!
Turkey Poems for Preschool
Turkey poems for kindergarten or preschool can be a great way to introduce young children to the traditions and customs of Thanksgiving.
1. A Turkey Speaks
by Anonymous
I have never understood
why anyone would
roast the turkey
and shuck the clams
and crisp the croutons
and shell the peas
and candy the sweets
and compote the cranberries
and bake the pies
and clear the table
and wash the dishes
and fall into bed
when they could sit back
and enjoy a hamburger.
2. At Grandma’s House
by Anonymous
I like the taste of turkey
Any time throughout the year.
But it never seems to taste as good
As when Thanksgiving’s here.
Could be it’s all the trimmings
That are cooked with it to eat,
But I think it’s eating at Grandma’s house
That makes it such a treat!
3. Mr. Turkey
by Anonymous
Mr. Turkey, better watch out.
Thanksgiving Day is coming.
If you’re not careful, you’ll end up
In someone’s hungry tummy!
Mr. Turkey, run, run, run/
Please run away and hide.
Mr. Turkey, run, run, run.
Don’t wait around outside!
4. Turkey in the Barnyard
by Anonymous
Turkey in the barnyard. What does he say?
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble all day.
Turkey on the table. What do I say?
Yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy all day.
Turkey in my tummy What do I say?
I ate too much on Thanksgiving Day.
5. Dear Mr. Turkey
by Michele Meleen
Dear Mr. Turkey,
I love the way you gobble
and all those colored feathers,
but the part of you
that’s truly sweet
is the part I get to eat!
6. Time for Turkey
by Lori Soard
It’s time for turkey
gobble, gobble.
It’s time for pumpkins
orange and fat.
It’s time for family
brothers, sisters.
It’s time for thank you
for this and that.
It’s time for turkey
Gobble gobble it all up!
7. Sharing Is Caring
by Michele Meleen
Sharing is caring
and sometimes daring
when someone is glaring
or maybe staring
at the piece of turkey, I’m tearing
with no plans of sharing!
8. Thanks to You
by Michele Meleen
Thanks to you
I’ve stuffed my belly
now I’m ready for a nap!
Thanksgiving is only fun
if you don’t get caught
in the turkey sleep trap!
Now thanks to you
I’ve missed the games
and started drooling on Grandma’s lap!
9. The Turkey Dance
by Anonymous
(sung to Turkey in the Straw)
Oh, you turkey to the left (two steps to the left)
And you turkey to the right (two steps to the right)
Then you heel and toe (do motion with foot)
And you scratch with all your might. (scratch with foot)
Now you flap your turkey wings (put thumbs in armpits and flap)
While your head goes bobble,bobble. (wobble head)
Turn around and then you say, (turn around)
“Gobble, gobble, gobble!”
10. Turkey in the Tree, My Darling
by Anonymous
Turkey in the brown straw, ha, ha, ha,
Turkey in the brown straw, ha, ha, ha,
Turkey in the brown straw, ha, ha, ha.
Turkey in the straw, my darling.
Turkey in the white snow, ho, ho, ho,
Turkey in the white snow, ho, ho, ho,
Turkey in the white snow, ho, ho, ho.
Turkey in the snow, my darling.
Turkey in the blue sky, hi, hi, hi,
Turkey in the blue sky, hi, hi, hi,
Turkey in the blue sky, hi, hi, hi.
Turkey in the sky, my darling.
Turkey in the red barn, harn, harn, harn,
Turkey in the red barn, harn, harn, harn,
Turkey in the red barn, harn, harn, harn.
Turkey in the barn, my darling.
Turkey in the yellow corn, horn, horn, horn,
Turkey in the yellow corn, horn, horn, horn,
Turkey in the yellow corn, horn, horn, horn.
Turkey in the corn, my darling.
Turkey in the green tree, hee, hee, hee,
Turkey in the green tree, hee, hee, hee,
Turkey in the green tree, hee, hee, hee.
Turkey in the tree, my darling.
Turkey Poems for Kindergarten
We have gathered up some fun turkey poems for kindergarten students that the kids will surely enjoy and learn from.
1. I’m a Turkey, I’m a Turkey
by Anonymous
I’m a turkey, I’m a turkey
I’m a turkey big and strong
But to eat me for Thanksgiving is simply, simply wrong
Eat some chicken, eat some veggies, eat a slice of pumpkin pie
Is it really any wonder why I prefer the Fourth of July?
2. Oh, What a Feast!
by Deborah P. Cerbus
Turkey and gravy
Corn on my plate.
Oh, what a feast for me.
Cranberries and stuffing
I can’t wait.
Oh, what a feast for me.
Bread and potatoes
Dessert is great.
Oh, what a feast for me.
I love Thanksgiving
Fill up my plate.
Oh, what a feast for me!
3. Mr. Turkey Song
by Anonymous
I heard Mr. Turkey say,
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,
Soon t’will be Thanksgiving day,
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,
People say that it’s much fun,
But I think I’ll run and run
And hide until the day is done,
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,
4. Five Fat Turkeys
by Anonymous
Five fat turkeys are we.
We spent all night in a tree.
When the cook came around,
We were nowhere to be found
And that’s why we’re here you see!
5. Turkey, Turkey
by Anonymous
Turkey, Turkey look at you
please be careful what you do.
Thanksgiving Day is almost here.
We eat turkey every year.
Go and hide out in the woods.
We all eat pizza like we should.
6. No Turkey
by Anonymous
My father hates thanksgiving.
It’s all about the stuffing.
He says it smells like day-old socks.
So on his plate goes nothing.
He grits his teeth and goes to bed.
It gives my mother grief.
I think next year, this holiday,
Instead we’ll eat roast beef!
7. A Turkey Sat on the Backyard Fence
by Anonymous
A turkey at on the backyard fence
And he sang a sad sad tune
Thanksgiving Day is coming
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobbe, gobble
And I know I’ll be eaten soon.
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble
I don’t like Thanksgiving Day-ay-ay-ay
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble
I think I’ll run away-ay-ay-ay.
8. I Eat Turkey
by Frere Jacques
I eat turkey, Point to self)
I eat turkey. (Point to self again)
Yes, I do, (Nod head)
Yes, I do. (Nod head)
Turkey in my tummy, Rub tummy)
Yummy, yummy, yummy. (Rub tummy)
Good for me, (Point to self)
Good for you. (Point to others)
9. Little Turkeys Walking By
by Anonymous
Little turkeys walking by,
They can move from side to side,
With a wibble-wobble here and a wibble-wobble there-
They can wibble-wobble everywhere.
Little turkeys making sounds.
They can talk as they move around
With a gobble-gobble here and a gobble-gobble there,
They can gobble-gobble everywhere.
10. Turkey
by Anonymous
One little, two little, three little Indians
One little, two little, three little turkeys,
Gobbly, wobbly, bobbly turkeys,
Hurry, scurry, worry turkey,
It’s Thanksgiving Day!
Turkey Poems for Thanksgiving
Turkey poems offer a rich and rewarding way to share in the joy and spirit of this special holiday. So let’s read the together!
1. The Harvest Moon
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes
And roofs of villages, on woodland crests
And their aerial neighborhoods of nests
Deserted, on the curtained window-panes
Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes
And harvest-fields, its mystic splendor rests!
Gone are the birds that were our summer guests,
With the last sheaves return the laboring wains!
All things are symbols: the external shows
Of Nature have their image in the mind,
As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves;
The song-birds leave us at the summer’s close,
Only the empty nests are left behind,
And pipings of the quail among the sheaves.
2. King for A Day
by Jo Mcnally
I’m resting here quite regally,
The feature of the table.
Surrounded by potatoes that
I’d taste if I were able.
My subjects, scrubbed and beaming,
Circle round the royal platter.
They seem to be adoring me,
But something is the matter.
See me basking in the candlelight,
My skin so nicely tanned.
The reason for this treatment,
I do not understand.
While I’d love to peck that dish of corn
And gobble down a berry,
I find this jolly atmosphere
To be a trifle scary.
These human creatures were my friends.
They filled me up with bread,
But now I have suspicions that
They’re cannibals instead!
3. Thanksgiving Day
by Lydia Maria Child
Over the river, and through the wood,
To grandfather’s house we go;
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh
Through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river, and through the wood—
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes
And bites the nose
As over the ground we go.
Over the river, and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring
“Ting-a-ling-ding”,
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
Over the river, and through the wood
Trot fast, my dapple-gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting-hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river, and through the wood,
And straight through the barn-yard gate.
We seem to go
Extremely slow,—
It is so hard to wait!
Over the river and through the wood—
Now grandmother’s cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin-pie!
4. A Thank Offering
by Ella Higginson
Lord God, the winter has been sweet and brief
In this fair land;
For us the budded willow and the leaf,
The peaceful strand.
For us the silver nights and golden days,
The violet mist;
The pearly clouds pierced with vibrating rays
Of amethyst.
At evening, every wave of our blue sea
Hollowed to hold
A fragment of the sunset’s mystery—
A fleck of gold.
The crimson haze is on the alder trees
In places lush;
Already sings with sweet and lyric ease
The western thrush.
Lord God, for some of us the days and years
Have bitter been;
For some of us the burden and the tears,
The gnawing sin.
For some of us, O God, the scanty store,
The failing bin;
For some of us the gray wolf at the door,
The red, within!
But to the hungry Thou hast given meat,
Hast clothed the cold;
And Thou hast given courage strong and sweet
To the sad and old.
And so we thank Thee, Thou most tender God,
For the leaf and flower;
For the tempered winds, and quickening, velvet sod,
And the gracious shower.
Yea, generous God, we thank Thee for this land
Where all are fed,
Where at the doors no freezing beggars stand,
Pleading for bread.
5. Thanksgiving Turkey
by George Parsons Lathrop
Valleys lay in sunny vapor,
And a radiance mild was shed
From each tree that like a taper
At a feast stood. Then we said,
“Our feast, too, shall soon be spread,
Of good Thanksgiving turkey.”
And already still November
Drapes her snowy table here.
Fetch a log, then; coax the ember;
Fill your hearts with old-time cheer;
Heaven be thanked for one more year,
And our Thanksgiving turkey!
Welcome, brothers—all our party
Gathered in the homestead old!
Shake the snow off and with hearty
Hand-shakes drive away the cold;
Else your plate you’ll hardly hold
Of good Thanksgiving turkey.
When the skies are sad and murky,
‘Tis a cheerful thing to meet
Round this homely roast of turkey—
Pilgrims, pausing just to greet,
Then, with earnest grace, to eat
A new Thanksgiving turkey.
And the merry feast is freighted
With its meanings true and deep.
Those we’ve loved and those we’ve hated,
All, to-day, the rite will keep,
All, to-day, their dishes heap
With plump Thanksgiving turkey.
But how many hearts must tingle
Now with mournful memories!
In the festal wine shall mingle
Unseen tears, perhaps from eyes
That look beyond the board where lies
Our plain Thanksgiving turkey.
See around us, drawing nearer,
Those faint yearning shapes of air—
Friends than whom earth holds none dearer
No—alas! they are not there:
Have they, then, forgot to share
Our good Thanksgiving turkey?
Some have gone away and tarried
Strangely long by some strange wave;
Some have turned to foes; we carried
Some unto the pine-girt grave:
They’ll come no more so joyous-brave
To take Thanksgiving turkey.
Nay, repine not. Let our laughter
Leap like firelight up again.
Soon we touch the wide Hereafter,
Snow-field yet untrod of men:
Shall we meet once more—and when?—
To eat Thanksgiving turkey.
6. Have a Happy Thanksgiving Day
by Coliescreationsshop
Today’s a very special day
We’re grinning ear to ear.
We welcome family near and far
And friends that we hold dear.
We share our favorites from plate to plate.
The stuffing’s good, the turkey great.
And with our stomachs full we say
Have a happy Thanksgiving Day!
7. We Must Make Thanksgiving Pies
by Anonymous
When all the leaves are off the boughs,
And nuts and apples gathered in,
And cornstalks waiting for the cows,
And pumpkins safe in barn and bin,
Then Mother says, “My children dear,
The fields are brown, and autumn flies;
Thanksgiving Day is very near,
And we must make thanksgiving pies!
8. Thanksgiving Is….
by Anonymous
Thanksgiving is
A time of gratitude to God, our Creator, and Provider,
Whose guidance and care go before us.
And whose love is with us forever.
Thanksgiving is
A time to reflect on the changes,
To remember that we, too, grow and change
From one season of life to another.
Thanksgiving is
A time of changing seasons,
When leaves turn golden
In Autumn’s wake and apples are crisp
In the first chill breezes of fall.
Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty of Autumn,
Let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours…
Let us think of our families and friends
And let us give thanks in our hearts.
9. Giving Thanks
by Anonymous
For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home —
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman’s hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought —
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the “Land of the Free” —
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
10. Thanksgiving
by Kate Louise Wheeler
Not because Thou givest me
Life from care and sorrow free
Do I thank Thee, Lord, to-day;
But because in life’s dark hour,
Thou hast given peace and power
To sustain me on the way.
Not for gift of wealth or fame.
Do I praise Thy kingly name
Kneeling now with grateful heart;
But for home, for friends, and health,—
Greater gifts than fame or wealth,
Blessings of my life a part.
Not because the earth is bright
With a wealth of joy and light
Do I thank Thee, Lord Divine;
But because in Home above
Life eternal speaks Thy love
And the hope of Heaven is mine.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, turkey poems can be a powerful tool for sharing the joy, gratitude, and spirit of Thanksgiving.
From funny and lighthearted to inspiring and heartfelt, there are many different types of turkey poems to choose from, each with its own unique style and perspective.
Whether you are looking to share a famous poem with loved ones, express your gratitude with an inspirational piece, or delight young children with a fun and engaging rhyme, turkey poems offer a rich and rewarding way to connect with the deeper meanings of this special holiday.
By engaging with poems about turkey, we can honor our cultural heritage, celebrate the abundance of the season, and cultivate a deeper sense of connection and community with those around us.
