If clouds were beds then I would sleep
upon a cloud that’s soft and deep.
A cumulus cloud, that’s its name,
though as a name it’s rather lame,
because it doesn’t make you think
of fluffy clouds in which you’d sink
like into soft caressing sheets,
nor how you’d lie and dream of treats,
or winning that important game!
So, bed-cloud is a better name.
If clouds were cars then I would race
a wispy cloud, high up near space.
A cirrus cloud is what they say.
That doesn’t sound like where I’d play!
It doesn’t sound a bit like car
or sound like it could travel far.
I want a simple name that shows
a cloud that goes and goes and goes!
A cloud that’s fast and fun to use,
so, car-cloud is the name I choose.
If clouds were homes then mine would be
one stretching far as you can see.
A stratus cloud is what it’s called,
but that name doesn’t say its sprawled.
It doesn’t say a wide, flat field,
where there’d be ample space to build.
I’d build a house for everyone,
a garden where we’d play and run,
and even an enormous shed.
So, I call those home-clouds instead.
© Kristin Martin 2016
First published in Orbit, Issue 9, The School Magazine, October 2016. It is also in my poetry book, To Thyme or Not to Rhyme? (Glimmer Press, 2019).
Hi Kristine,
I really liked you poem it reminded me of when I was younger, around 5 or 6, I used to think that clouds were soft beds and that beds were made out of clouds.
Hi Tianna,
We both know that clouds aren’t really soft beds, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if they were?
Kristin
Hi Kristin
This Poem is very Peaceful and the Coluds I can really imagine them as well
when I sleep everyday I always think I am Sleeping on a cloud! And this will make a Great poem for sleep,Stress,Anger,Sadness or Anxiety
Hi Omesh,
Thank you. I hope that my poem can help people when they are having an unpleasant emotion. I like how you imagine you are sleeping on a cloud.
Kristin
Hey Kristin,
I’m imagining right now that if clouds were beds, they would be really soft! Unfortunately, if I were to sit or sleep on one now, I would fall straight through one.
Caleb
Hi Caleb,
They wouldn’t really make good beds, would they? But it is fun imagining they would!
Kristin
I really liked this poem it has to be one of my favorites. I liked how you changed boring cloud names into more fun ones. The ryhming was really good. I would love to sleep on clouds I imagine them to be really soft and cozy. But if clouds were my house I would be scared that I will fall when I’m walking.
Hi Sachini,
Thank you. I love clouds very much. It would be fun to sleep in one, wouldn’t it? But unfortunately it would be cold and damp!
Kristin
Hi Kristin
I loved how you were almost teaching students about clouds while making them laugh. This poem was so cool, and I loved it. What gave you inspiration for this spectacular poem??
I wrote this for my friend who is a year 2 teacher. She was teaching about clouds in science.
Hi Kristin,
I really loved your cloud poem !
Thanks, Tharuja!
ooh! clouds as beds would be awesome! (and sooooo fluffy!)
great poem Kristin. About the car thing my BFF Abby thinks in the future houses might be on clouds! Mmm, comfy and movable!!!
Hi Madeline,
Thanks for your lovely comment. I would love to have a house in a cloud! I don’t think it would work very well though…
Kristin
Hi Kristin,
I really loved ❤️ your cloud poem !!! I seriously love all of your rhymes you used in this poem. I like the part where you wrote down that the normal clouds ☁️ names were boring and you changed them to more fun and exciting names !!!!! I wonder how big you brain is to have that much creativity and imagination!!!! I think when you are writing you should totally get lost in thought and if people send you ‘not’ positive comments to push past that and not let anyone stop you from writing if that is what you love !!! I love writing poems, writing stories and I love reading your poem!!! Bye
-Clara ❤️
Hi Clara,
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I like clouds a lot, so it is lots of fun to write cloud poems. I don’t think my brain is particularly big, I just give it time to think and imagine.
Thank you for being so positive. I hope you go far with your writing.
Kristin
Hi Kristin
I’ve always wanted to know what a cloud would feel like, but if we could sleep on one it would be even better.
I really like poems like this because you can be so creative with your imagination and thoughts.
I loved reading it.
Thanks Mia,
I love imagining things. This poem was so much fun to write.
Kristin
That poem was cool!
I would love to have a cloud bed!
Hi Sanuli,
Thanks! I’d love to have a cloud bed too!
Kristin
I love the use of rhyme in this poem. Also, I’ve always wanted to sleep on a cloud until I found out that it is made out of tiny droplets of water. However, the idea of sleeping on a nice fluffy cloud does sound nice.
Hi Chomilka,
Thank you for your comment. I’m sorry I didn’t reply sooner, but my website didn’t tell me that it was there- oops!
I would love to sleep on a cloud too! I know a real cloud would be cold, but my imagined cloud wouldn’t be!
Kristin
I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to live on a cloud.
Beautiful poem!
Thanks!
“If clouds were beds then I would sleep
upon a cloud that’s soft and deep.
A cumulus cloud, that’s it’s name
though as a name it’s rather lame,
because it doesn’t make you think,
of fluffy clouds in which you sink,”
I like this part because it sounds dreamy and I like to sleep a lot. It also says that the name cumulus is lame, which I like. I would really like clouds to be beds. It would be awesome if clouds would actually come to the ground – they already do (fog) but you cant really feel it at all. I really like your rhymes too.
Hi Thisali,
Thank you for your lovely comment. Have you ever been in fog? It feels cold and wet- not nice at all!
Kristin
If clouds were beds I could be able to sleep whenever I wanted to.
Nuwin
🙂
I never thought so much about cloud and how that could serve as a bed. It was so interesting and i read it to my mam and she said it is good eye opener for us to think different way
🙂
Hi Kristin,
I wish I could feel a cloud but the only thing I worried is, I am scared of heights. I want to try it one day using a parachute.
There are lot of rhyming words in the poem. my most favourite pair of lines is
“A cloud that’s fast and fun to use,
so, car-cloud is the name I choose.”
Thanks
Dinidu
Hi Dinidu,
Thanks for your comment! As usual, it was thoughtful and interesting to read!
I think I’d be scared to be up in a cloud. Have you ever been in fog? That’s like being in a cloud on the ground.
Kristin
hi Kristin
I like the poem it makes me wish clouds WERE beds.
From Lysha
p.s is your son called matt?
Hi Lysha,
I wish clouds were beds too.
Do you know my son?
Kristin
Hello Kristin I don’t know your son but someone replied to one of your poems saying “good poem Mummy “ or or something like that. Bye. From Lysha
Hi Lysha,
You are a good detective!
Kristin
Clouds are really soft so I’ve always wanted to touch one but they are vapour water so I think I’ll get wet instead.
-Thisama
Hi Thisama,
I would like to touch a cloud too, but you are right- they would be cold and wet.
Kristin
Hi Kristin
I like how you put learning in a fun and creative way. We can learn about clouds and have a good laugh at the same time.
Tharusha
Hi Kristin
I really like this poem because it makes me feel creative and honestly I would love it if clouds were beds. How did you come up with the idea?
Tharusha
Hi Tharusha,
My friend’s class was learning about clouds, so I wrote the poem for her students to help them remember the different types of clouds.
Kristin
Although we can’t feel the clouds as solids, I wish we could sleep on them and live on top of the world.
That would be lovely!
Hi Kristin,
Actually i think that clouds are made of steam .for example
if we got a hot large river the steam is coming up so it gose to the clouds and it joins to another cloud then it makes a large cloud.But this is really wonderful dream.i love it .
Hi Methuli,
I like that you are thinking about clouds. They are made up of water vapour, so I couldn’t really play in them, but I like to dream about it.
Kristin
It would fell so relaxing to sleep on a cloud as long as it is not too sunny or rainy.
Tharinsa
I would love to sleep on a cloud, if I could…
Kristin
We enjoyed reading this tonight and Caitlin is going to see if she can find a bed cloud tomorrow. Tate liked the racing clouds… of course!
Well done, Kristin. It reminded me of a Dr Seuss book with the structure of each line.
Johanna
Thanks Johanna, It is lovely to hear what your family thought of my poem. I’m so glad they liked it.