The blue-plate special Tuesday at Poetry Cafe was a heaping serving of words.

Second-graders at Langston Hughes School offered service with a smile as they treated their parents, siblings and other relatives during a 33-poem buffet of verse centering on things culinary. Most of the poems were silly; others were just sweet.

“My favorite is ‘Spaghetti, Spaghetti,'” said Mackenzie Breithaupt, 8.

After parents were seated at tables in a cafe tucked inside the school library, students dressed as waiters in white shirts and black ties attended the guests, who ordered poems from the menu.

When called upon, the children stood on a small platform to recite their lines, spiced with gestures and giggles.

“They all did a great job,” said Mackenzie’s mom, Janet. “I think poetry is important.”

Karen Fredrickson, the library media specialist at Langston Hughes, served as head waitress. She also helped the second-graders practice the poems and shared with them finer points of literary presentation.

“They really learn the rhythm of words and word choices,” she said in an accent revealing her French pedigree.

Second graders dressed as restaurant waiters, from left, Thomas Boatright, Jordan Trajovski, Grace Phillips, Berkleigh Wright and McKenzie Kula, recite a short poem that requests dessert. On Tuesday at Langston Hughes School, 1101 George Williams Way, second-grade students recited poems about food to an audience of parents and friends.

The children were from the classes of second-grade teachers Jane Buxton and Cheryl Slack. This is the second year the school has had Poetry Cafe.

“It gets them up in front of an audience,” Buxton said. “It’s also a fun event this time of year.”

Perhaps it was poetic justice the families shared cookies and punch after the show.

“I hope you are all well fed,” Fredrickson said. “I hope you come visit our cafe again.”