These poems are from Shel Silverstein's three well known books of children's poetry: A Light in the Attic, Where the Side Walk Ends, and Falling Up.
The Little Boy and the Old Man
Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the little old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
I know what you mean," said the little old man.
This Bridge
This bridge will only take you halfway there
To those mysterious land you long to see:
Though gypsy camps and swirling Arab fairs
And moonlit woods where unicorns run free.
So come and walk awhile with me and share
The twisting trails and wonderous worlds I've known
But this bridge will only take you halfway there --
The last few steps you'll have to take alone.
Invitation
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hoper, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
I you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!
Listen to the Mustn'ts
Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me--
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.
Hat
Teddy said it was a hat,
So i put it on.
Now Dad is saying,
"Where the heck's the toilet plunger gone?"
No Difference
Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We're all the same size
When we turn off the light.
Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We're all worth the same
When we turn off the light.
Red, black or orange,
Yellow or white,
We all look the same
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way
To make everything right
Is for God to just reach out
And turn off the light!
I Won't Hatch!
Oh I am a chickie who lives in an egg,
But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.
The hens they all cackle, the roosters all beg,
But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.
For I hear all the talk of pollution and war
As the people all shout and the airplanes roar,
So I'm staying in here where it's safe and it's warm,
And I WILL NOT HATCH!
Snowball
I made myself a snowball
As perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas
And a pillow for it’s head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first it wet the bed.
The Voice
There is a voice inside of you,
That whispers all day long,
"I feel that this is right for me, I know that this is wrong."
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
Or wise man can decide
What’s right for you-- just listen to
The voice that speaks inside.
Woulda-Coulda-Shoula
All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin' in the sun,
Talkin' 'bout the things
They woulda-coulda-shoulda done...
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little did.
Gardener
We gave you a chance
To water the plants.
We didn't mean that way--
Now zip up your pants.
Tell Me
Tell me I'm clever,
Tell me I'm kind,
Tell me I'm talented,
Tell me I'm cute,
Tell me I'm sensitive,
Graceful and wise,
Tell me I'm perfect--
But tell me the truth.
© 1999 ~*~ mel ~*~
