from the book "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (1974)
#AmericanWriters
I asked the Zebra: Are you black with white stripes? Or white with black stripes? And the zebra asked me: Are you good with bad habits?
As I walk down to Bishop Street… Now she was young and pretty too And on a string she walked with a… Oh the Floobie Doobie Doo now wh… It’s not the doll with eyes of blu…
I am writing these poems From inside a lion, And it’s rather dark in here. So please excuse the handwriting Which may not be too clear.
My skin is kind of sort of brownis… Pinkish yellowish white. My eyes are greyish blueish green, But I’m told they look orange in… My hair is reddish blondish brown,
I thought that I had wavy hair Until I shaved. Instead, I find that I have straight hair And a very wavy head.
‘A genuine anteater,’ The pet man told my dad. Turned out, it was an aunt eater, And now my uncle’s mad!
“If you’re sloppy, that’s just fin… If you’re moody, I won’t mind. If you’re fat, that’s fine with me… If you’re skinny, let it be. If you’re bossy, that’s alright.
‘I live in fear of the snow,’ said… 'Whenever it’s here, be sure I’ll… Oh, the pain and the cold, when one’s bearish and old. I live in fear of the snow.'
Fell asleep last night with the T… Oh, what a dream I had. Dreamed I went and answered ev’ry… One of those late night mail order… Then four to six weeks later,
Well, I’d like to sing a song abo… And swingin’ twelve pound hammers… And how a I’d like to kill my cap… And how a black man works his life… What do you do if you’re young and…
Eight balloons no one was buyin’ All broke loose one afternoon. Eight balloons with strings a-flyi… Free to do what they wanted to. One flew up to touch the sun - P…
All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas Layin’ in the sun, Talkin’ 'bout the things They woulda coulda shoulda done... But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Oh they’re testing the bomb as I’… They say not to worry cause nothin… They’re testing the bomb as I’m s… They say not to worry cause nothin…
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,
There´s a shadow on the sun I se… Kiss it away, Kiss it away And there´s hurt down deep inside… Kiss it away, Kiss it away All the hard times we been through