Dirty Face by Shel Silverstein (Poetry)

I read the poem Dirty Face by Shel Silverstein

Where did you get such a dirty face,
My darling dirty-faced child?
I got it from crawling along in the dirt
And biting two buttons off Jeremy's shirt.
I got it from chewing the roots of a rose
And digging for clams in the yard with my nose.
I got it from peeking into a dark cave
And painting myself like a Navajo brave.
I got it from playing with coal in the bin
And signing my name in cement with my chin.
I got if from rolling around on the rug
And giving the horrible dog a big hug.
I got it from finding a lost silver mine
And eating sweet blackberries right off the vine.
I got it from ice cream and wrestling and tears
And from having more fun than you've had in years.

     This poem is told from the view point of a mother or father of the child who has the dirty face. This is a very silly poem that explains all of the reasons why the child got their face messy.  This poem reminds me a lot of the messy outdoor activities that I did when I was a child.  I love at the end Silverstein writes "and from having more fun than you've had in years".  I think often times adults forget how to have fun and how to be a child.  
      I think this poem would be great to read to a younger group of children because they are messy and love exploring with all of their senses even if it means getting a little dirty.  I know that younger children will be able to relate well to this book.  As a teacher, I think you could create an assessment where children have to write their own poem, or provide a line for a class created poem about how their face got messy.  This is an easy poem to catch on to and children will be able to create very unique ways on how their face became messy.  
Genre: Comedy