from the book "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (1974)
#AmericanWriters
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, frie…
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.
The honeymoon ended a decade ago, If he still loves her he don’t say… So she’s taking her blues to the… Getting little green buttons on he… Little green buttons all in a row
She’s a liberated lady and she’s l… And she don’t need your protection… And she does not want your help. And if you’re lookin’ for some pre… You better go look somewhere else,
Clarence Lee from Tennessee Loved the commercials he saw on T… He watched with wide believing eye… And bought everything they adverti… Cream to make his skin feel better
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,
I’ve sung my songs on dusty roads… To sweatin’ hard eyed brakemen, in… I’ve sung in blue wall papered roo… Now Mama…I’ll sing one song for y… Mama let me tell you that I’ve ne…
They said come skating; They said it’s so nice. They said come skating; I’d done it twice. They said come skating;
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,
I’ll swing By my ankles, She’ll cling To your knees As you hang
Once I spoke the language of the… Once I understood each word the c… Once I smiled in secret at the go… And shared a conversation with the… in my bed.
It was Sat night at the slammer t… As they dragged in every freak fro… One by one they entered the cell a… Were all different but all seemed… They held me down and put it on my…
This boat that we just built is ju… And don’t try to tell us it’s not. The sides and the back are divine— It’s the bottom I guess we forgot…
Inside everybody’s nose There lives a shar-toothed snail. So if youi stick your finger in, He may bite off your nail. Stick it farther up inside,
I tried on the farmer’s hat, Didn’t fit’¦ A little too small - just a bit Too floppy. Couldn’t get used to it,