Poems by Shel Silverstein

I decided that I was going to stick me unintentional theme of kids-related “stuff” this week and post some poems featured in A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein.  As a kid, I loved reading his work.  Always silly, funny, and accompanied by silly drawings that always went perfectly with the poems that they were paired with.  If the Berenstain Bears were the books that most excited me about reading as a child, it was Shel Silverstein who got me excited about poetry as a child.

Spelling Bee

I got stung by a bee
I won’t tell you where.
I got stung by a bee
I was just lyin’ there,
And it tattooed a message
I can’t tell you where
That spells out
Hello… you’ve been stung by a bee

I always loved this next poem probably because of the picture accompanying it.  A man with a fleshy face and skeletal body sits, sweating, on a chair with a fan (apparently not turned on) in front of him.  How odd.

It’s Hot!

It’s hot!
I can’t get cool,
I’ve drunk a quart of lemonade.
I think I’ll take my shoes off
And sit around in the shade.

It’s hot!
My back is sticky,
The sweat rolls down my chin.
I think I’ll take my clothes off
And sit around in my skin.

It’s hot!
I’ve tried with ‘lectric fans
And pools and ice cream cones.
I think I’ll take my skin off
And sit around in my bones.

It’s still hot!

Poemsicle

Id you add sicle to your pop,
Would he become a Popsicle?
Would a mop become a mopsicle?
Would a cop become a copsicle?
Would a chop become a chopsicle?
Would a drop become a dropsicle?
Would a hop become a hopsicle?
I guess it’s time to stopsicle,
Or is it timesicle to stopsicle?
Heysicle, I can’t stopsicle?
Heysicle, I can’t stopsicle.
Ohsicle mysicle willsicle Isicle
Havesicle tosicle talksicle
Likesicle thissicle foreversicle-
Huhsicle?

What were your favorite poems as a kid?

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