from the book "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (1974)
#Americans #Children #Jews #XXCentury
This evening I unzipped my skin And carefully unscrewed my head, Exactly as I always do When I prepare myself for bed. And while I slept a coo-coo came
“Why can’t you see I’m a cat,” sa… “And that’s all I ever will be? Why are you shocked when I roam o… Why are you sad when I meow and I… Why are you sick when I eat up a…
Sandra’s seen a leprechaun, Eddie touched a troll, Laurie danced with witches once, Charlie found some goblins’ gold. Donald heard a mermaid sing,
Now I’m warnin’ all you women don… Now you’re talkin’ to a man in a w… Well I’m three parts tiger and on… I’ll ball you to sleep and I’ll b… And I’m so good that I don’t have…
Goodnight little houseplant asleep… I’ll pull the shades so you don’t… And tomorrow in the morning don’t… We’ll have ham and eggs for me and… Goodnight little houseplant tucked…
(To be said in one breath) Elaine gives me a pain, Gill makes me ill, Winnie is a ninny, Orin is borin’
Joey Joey took a stone And knocked Down The Sun!
Agatha Fry, she made a pie And Christopher John helped bake… Christopher John, he mowed the la… And Agatha Fry helped rake it Now, Zachary Zugg took out the ru…
I have fought against the poodle w… I have faced the fearsome kitten,… And somehow I’ve evaded the enorm… Of the frighteningly ferocious Sh… My triumph o’er the rabbit is now…
Nentis Nan, he’s my man, I go do im each chanz I gan. He sicks me down an creans my teed Wid mabel syrub, tick an’ sweed, An ten he filks my cavakies
There once was a hippo who wanted… Fly-hi-dee, try-hi-dee, my-hi-dee-… So he sewed him some wings that co… Sky-hi-dee, fly-hi-dee, why-hi-dee… He climbed to the top of a mountai…
'Twas sunset down in old Key West The locals all were high. The tourists snapped their photogr… And munched their Key Lime pie. And meanwhile down at Sloppy Joe’…
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.
Last night, while I lay thinking… some Whatifs crawled inside my ear and pranced and partied all night… and sang their same old Whatif son… Whatif I’m dumb in school?
Mama said I’d lose my head If it wasn’t fastened on. Today I guess it wasn’t 'Cause while playing with my cousi… It fell off and rolled away