Shel Silverstein

[TN_Vixen]

My son has discoverd Shel Silverstein. Brought home the book "Where The Sidewalk Ends" tonight and I thought I'd share a favorite of mine.

"Sick"

"I cannot go to school today"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps.
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry.
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more - that's seventten,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue -
It might be instamatic flue.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke -
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is - what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is...... Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

 

[alexandraaah]

The Giving Tree still makes me cry.

 

[Caressa]

I recited that in the first grade...Shel Silverstein is a classic...just like Dr. Seuss....something every child should be introduced to.

 

[TN_Vixen]

Caressa

He wants to recite "Hungry Mungry"

Hungry Mungry sat at supper,
Took his knife and sppon and fork,
Ate a bowl of mushroom soup, ate a slice of roasted pork,
Ate a dozen stewed tomatoes, twenty-seven deviled eggs,
Fifteen shrimps, nine baked potatoes,
Thirty-two fried chicken legs,
A shank of lam, a boiled ham,
Two bowls of grits, some black-eye pease,
Four chcolate shakes, eight angel cakes,
Nine custard pies with Muenster cheese,
Ten pots of tea, and after he
Had eaten all that he was able,
He poured some broth on the tablecloth
And ate the kitchen table.

His parents said, "OH Hungry Mungry, stop these silly jokes."
Mungry opened up his mouth, and "Gulp" he ate his folks.
And then he went and ate his house, all the bricks and wood.
And then he ate up all the people in the neighborhood.
Up came twenty angry policemen shouting, "Stop and cease."
Mungry opened up his mouth and "Gulp," he at the police.
Soldiers came with tanks and guns.
Said Mungry, "They can't harm me."
He just smiled and licked his lips and ate the U.S. Army.

The President sent all his bombers - Mungry still was calm,
Put his head back, gulped the planes, and gobbled up the bomb.
He ate his town and ate the city- ate and ate and ate -
And then he said, "I think I'll eat the whole United States."

And so he ate Chicago first and munched the Water Tower,
And then he chewed on Pittsburgh, but he found it rather sour.
He ate New York and Tennessee, and all of Boston town,
Then drank the Mississippi River just to wash it down.
And when he'd eaten every state, each puppy, boy and girl
He wiped his mouth upon his sleeve and went to eat the world.

He ate the Eqypt pyramids and every church in Rome,
And all the grass in Africa and all the ice in Nome.
He ate each hill in green Brazil and then to make things worse
He decided for dessert he'd eat the universe.

He started with the moon and stars and soon as he was done
He gulped the clouds, he sipped the wind and gobbled up the sun
Then sitting there in the cold dark air,
He started to nibble his feet,
Then his legs, then his hips
Then his neck, then his lips
Till he sat there just gnashin' his teeth
'Cause nothin' was nothin' was
Nothin' was Nothin' was
Nothin' was left to eat.

 

[Caressa]

I've also always been a singer...and my mom introduced me to "Pierre" and "Chicken Soup w/ rice". I still have the book somewhere and might even have the tape...more great kids stuff.


I never want to grow up...oh wait...I'm not

 

[lilminx]

Shel Silverstein rules!

There's too many kids in this tub
There's too many elbows to rub.
I just washed a behind
That I'm sure wasn't mine
There's too many kids in this tub.


As for Maurice Sendak, I always loved the cartoon "Really Rosie" (it has "Pierre" and "Chicken Soup With Rice" on it) and I bought the CD for my students to listen to. They love "One Was Johnny".

 

[Caressa]

Thanks lilminx!

I'm so glad someone knew who I was talking about...and "One was Johnny" ...the tune popped into my head as soon as I read your words.

Classics....not more I can say about it

 

[DustyWolfe]

Shel Silverstein is definitely a classic. I used to have all of his books but a friend of mine stole them lol. I guess she needed them worse than mine did. The reason why I started buying his stuff was solely from hearing the "Giving Tree"

 

[Laurel]

Vixen - to this day, I can recite that entire poem by heart. "Where The Sidewalk Ends" is STILL one of my favorite volumes of poetry. I also like this one:

Captain Hook must remember
Not to scratch his toes.
Captain Hook must watch out
And never pick his nose.
Captain Hook must be gentle
When he shakes your hand.
Captain Hook must be careful
Openin' sardine cans
And playing tag and pouring tea
And turnin' pages of his book.
Lots of folks I'm glad I ain't-
But mostly Captain Hook!

 

[dreamer]

Great memories from his books. I'm going to have to dig through the ol boxes and see if I can find my copies. Sick is one of my favourites as well.

 

[Calamity Jane]

(Freakin' At) The Freaker's Ball - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show
(Shel Silverstein)

Well there's gonna be a freaker's ball (ha ha)
Tonight at the Freaker's Hall
And you know you're invited one and all
Uh oh

Come on baby's grease your lips
Grab your hats and swing your hips
And don't forget to bring your whips
We're going to the freaker's ball (yes)

Blow your whistle, and bang your gong
Roll up something to take along
It feels so good, it must be wrong
We're freakin' at the freaker's ball

Well all the fags and the dykes they're boogie-in' together
The leather freaks are dressed in all kinds of leather
The greatest of the sadists and the masochists too
Screaming please hit me and I'll hit you

The FBI is dancin' with the junkies
All the straights, swingin' with the funkies
Across the floor and up the wall
We're freakin' at the freaker's ball, y'all
We're freakin' at the freaker's ball

Everybody's kissing each other
Brother with sister, son with mother
Smear my body up with butter
And take me to the freaker's ball

Pass that roach please, and pour the wine
I'll kiss yours if you'll kiss mine
I'm gonna boogie 'til I'm cold blind
Freakin' at the freaker's ball

White ones, black ones, yellow ones, red ones
Necrophiliacs looking for dead ones
The greatest of the sadists and the masochists too
Screaming please hit me and I'll hit you

Everybody ballin' in batches
Pyromaniacs strikin' matches
I'm gonna itch me where it scratches
Freakin' at the freaker's ball, y'all
We're freakin' at the freaker's ball

We're at a ball
We're freakin' at the freaker's ball

 

[Dillinger]

OK to post his adult stuff here too?

THIRTEEN TONS OF ICE CREAM

A ninety mile run
In the Florida sun
Can be a sticky situation
With thirteen tons of ice cream bars
And no refrigeration.

Well, I was loaded and locked
At the Tampa docks.
Miami was my destination.
With some coffee and an upper
I'll be home in time for supper
According to my calculation.
But those ice cream bars
In my 'frigeration car
Were too great a temptation.
So I pulled on over to the side of the road
And had me an ice cream celebration .

Then just outside of the Everglades
I got a strange sensation .
What was drippin' down my nose
Soakin' my clothes
Weren't no perspiration ?
'Cuz I must've forgot
And left the hatch unlocked.
Now I came to the realization
I got thirteen tons of ice cream bars
And no refrigeration .
'Cuz a ninety-mile run in the Florida sun
Can be a sticky situation
With thirteen tons of ice cream bars
And no refrigeration .

There was pralines and cream droppin' into my lap,
And that's a source of irritation.
And that Chunky-Monkey fillin' up the cab.
That can disturb a fellah's concentration.
That Cherry Jubilee
Right up to my knees
Can make a truckin' man's ruination
With thirteen tons of ice cream bars
And no refrigeration.

When I pull into Tampa you can damn well bet
There'll be a big investigation,
And under cross examination,
I'll deny all of the allegations.
Then me and the boss we're gonna have
One of them real short conversations.
Then he's gonna be advisin' me
To find a brand new occupation.
A ninety-mile run in the Florida sun
Can be a sticky situation
With thirteen tons of ice cream bars
And no refrigeration .

Well, I'm gonna tell him where he can STICK
His whole screwed-up organization
Then I'm gonna head right on down to the Union Hall
And apply for arbitration.
Then get me some fancy legal representation
And sue the whole God damn truckin' corporation
And win a BIG cash compensation
And then take a seven-month vacation
At some tropical location
With some uh... female stimulation
And do a little copulation
Out in the vegetation
And get a little inebriation goin'
Ohhh . . what a sweet sensation!
Lemme see now . . what flavor should I have . . .
Hmm-Hmmm . . . they're all running together
I believe this is a whole new kinda ice cream
Heee-hee-heee.. . . . .

 

[Laurel]

LOL! I forgot about that one, Dilly! Thanks for posting it.

 

[Lasz]

Shel Silverstien

Hasen't he basically become the way for all children to be intorduced poetry.
As far as children's poetry is concerned he is the man!
He tapped a audience that was unfamiliar with that kind of product (marketing degree here, I would use different words to say this but my marketing mind cant think of any differnt words).
I think almost every kid now a days is introduced to poetry through the works of that Shel Silverstien.

Laz

 

[Black_Bird]

Do you know why I love Shel Silverstein? He's a-typical, intelligent, and still manages to be funny at the same time. He doesn't talk down to children, but he definitely speaks their language. You can't say that about most children's authors.

 

[DulceCrema]

my "theme-poem" for a few of my younger years:

If you have to dry the dishes,
such an awful, boring chore.
But if you have to dry the dishes,
instead of going to the store.
If you have to dry the dishes,
and you.....drop one on the floor
Maybe they won't let you dry the dishes anymore.


I have many parts and pieces of Silverstein poems in my head...
Always sprinkly pepper in your hair...Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout would not take the garbage out...Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.....and such things as that...

Good stuff!

 

[alexandraaah]

If anyone can find it, try and check out "Uncle Shelby's A B Z's."

It's adult humor and pretty twisted.

 

[RainbowBright]

Shealsni se. H'eslick aw ierd unkle dat alwayz saysf unny things.

 

[juicylips]

The Giving Tree still makes me cry.

Ditto.

JL

 

[JLatino]

i can't remember any of my favorite silverstein works...

but does any one remember Jack Prelutsky's "The New Kid On The Block?"

 

[riff]

I can't believe I never heard of this guy. And I love poems.

 

[SilverVeil]

The Giving Tree still makes me cry.

When there is a special occasion I always make it a point to give this book as a gift. Does not matter if for an adult or child. This book usually finds its way on the gift list.

 

[tigerjen]

I love "The Giving Tree"........very inspirational....

Also his poem "Hug O War".....love it!!




tigerjen

 

[vylette]

shel silverstein

shel silverstein is truly great...he also has a collection of poems in a book entitled "falling up"....the poem "sick" you mentioned was one i always read to my students when i was teaching school, they got the biggest kick out of it, i can still remember them dying laughing...and the book "the giving tree" i gave to my husband on our first wedding anniversay with the inscription .."to the most giving person i know"...i now read it to our son all the time...it is one of our favorite books...