Poem of the Week #3
 

Sick by Shel Silverstein

"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 seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut - my eyes are blue -
It might be instamatic flu.
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!"

I think this is a charming poem.

It reminds me of being young, making excuses, "swinging the lead" as my father would describe it.

It makes me smile, conjures up memories of summer days back home in Ireland, the happiness, the carefree happiness and innocence of youth.

I can picture our back garden now, the sun beaming down (summers were always better back then), the grass so green, the trees so high.

I was home recently. It's much smaller than I remember...


Mr Mephisto

Shel Silverstein is always a welcome read.

We used to have lots of Shel Silverstein books in our house when I was younger. I'm sure we've probably given them away with the rest of the childrens books.

I had to memorize that poem in 6th grade. At least it was something funny and entertaining and not boring like most of our other busy work.