Shel Silverstein

"“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”"

"I said, "I'll take the T-bone steak."A soft voice mooed, "Oh wow."And I looked up and realized The waitress was a cow. I cried, "Mistake--forget the the steak. I'll take the chicken then."I heard a cluck--'twas just my luck The busboy was a hen. I said, "Okay no, fowl today. I'll have the seafood dish."Then I saw through the kitchen door The cook--he was a fish. I screamed, "Is there anyone workin' here Who's an onion or a beet?No? Your're sure? Okay then friends,A salad's what I'll eat."They looked at me. "Oh,no," they said,"The owner is a cabbage head."

"Each time I see the Upside-Down Man Standing in the water,I look at him and start to laugh,Although I shouldn't oughtter. For maybe in another world Another time Another town,Maybe HE is right side up And I am upside down"

"The Voice There is a voice inside of you That whispers all day long,"I feel this is right for me,I know that this is wrong."No teacher, preacher, parent, friend Or wise man can decide What's right for you--just listen to The voice that speaks inside."

"Larry’s such a liar---He tells outrageous lies. He says he’s ninety-nine years old Instead of only five. He says he lives up on the moon,He says that he once flew. He says he’s really six feet four Instead of three feet two. He says he has a billion dollars‘Stead of just a dime. He says he rode a dinosaur Back in some distant time. He says his mother is the moon Who taught him magic spells. He says his father is the wind That rings the morning bells. He says he can take stones and rocks And turn them into gold. He says he can take burnin’ fire And turn it freezin’ cold. He said he’d send me seven elves To help me with my chores. But Larry’s such a liar---He only sent me four."

"I cannot go to school today"Said little Peggy Ann Mc Kay."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 the 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 toes are 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's 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!"

"Birds are flyin' south for winter. Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north,Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin',Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth. He says, "It's not that I like ice Or freezin' winds and snowy ground. It's just sometimes it's kind of nice To be the only bird in town."

"Pirate Captain Jim"Walk the plank," says Pirate Jim"But Captain Jim, I cannot swim."Then you must steer us through the gale."But Captain Jim, I cannot sail."Then down with the galley slaves you go."But Captain Jim, I cannot row."Then you must be the pirate's clerk."But Captain Jim, I cannot work."

"An oak tree and a rosebush grew,Young and green together,Talking the talk of growing things-Wind and water and weather. And while the rosebush sweetly bloomed The oak tree grew so high That now it spoke of newer things-Eagles, mountain peaks and sky."I guess you think you're pretty great,"The rose was heard to cry,Screaming as loud as it possibly could To the treetop in the sky."And now you have no time for flower talk,Now that you've grown so tall."It's not so much that I've grown," said the tree,"It's just that you've stayed so small."

"The bridge will only take you halfway there, to those mysterious lands you long to see. Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fair, and moonlit woods where unicorns run free. So come and walk awhile with me and share the twisting trails and wondrous worlds I've known. But this bridge will only take you halfway there. The last few steps you have to take alone."

"If you are a dreamer come in If you are a dreamer a wisher a liar A hoper a pray-er a magic-bean-buyer If youre a pretender com sit by my fire For we have some flax golden tales to spin Come in! Come in!"

"If you are a dreamer, come in,If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer... If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire For we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in!Come in!"

"One picture puzzle piece Lyin' on the sidewalk,One picture puzzle piece Soakin' in the rain. It might be a button of blue On the coat of the woman Who lived in a shoe. It might be a magical bean,Or a fold in the red Velvet robe of a queen. It might be the one little bite Of the apple her stepmother Gave to Snow White. It might be the veil of a bride Or a bottle with some evil genie inside. It might be a small tuft of hair On the big bouncy belly Of Bobo the Bear. It might be a bit of the cloak Of the Witch of the West As she melted to smoke. It might be a shadowy trace Of a tear that runs down an angel's face. Nothing has more possibilities Than one old wet picture puzzle piece."

"Rockabye Baby, in the treetop Dont you know a treetopis no safe place to rock?And who put you up there,and your cradle too?Baby,I think someone down herehas got it in for you!"

"True story This morning I jumped on my horse And went for a ride,And some wild outlaws chased me And shot me in the side. So I crawled into a wildcats cave To find a place to hide But some pirates found me sleeping there And soon they had me tied To a pole and built a fire Under me---I almost cried Till a mermaid came and cut me loose And begged to be my bride So I said id come back Wednesday But I must admit I lied. Then I ran into a jungle swamp But I forgot my guide And I stepped into some quicksand And no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get out, until I met A watersnake named Clyde Who pulled me to some cannibals Who planned to have me fried But an eagle came and swooped me up And through the air we flied But he dropped me in a boiling lake A thousand miles wide And you’ll never guess what I did then---I DIED"

"The baby bat Screamed out in fright,'Turn on the dark,I'm afraid of the light."

"The Little Boy and the Old Man Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."Said the old man, "I do that too."The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."I do that too," laughed the little old man. Said the little boy, "I often cry."The old man nodded, "So do I."But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand. I know what you mean," said the little old man."

"If you are a dreamer come in"

"No Difference Small as a peanut,Big as a giant,We're all the same size When we turn off the light. Rich as a sultan,Poor as a mite,We're all worth the same When we turn off the light. Red, black or orange,Yellow or white, We all look the same When we turn off the light. So maybe the way, To make everything right Is for god to just reach out And turn off the light!"

"Anything is possible. Anything can be."