A Strong Man's Plate of Green Eggs and Ham
I am doing something a little different in this post. I am using a ghostwriter, meaning I am having someone else write it for me. The reasons for doing this are many. First, I have a friend who is one thousand times more talented than I ever will be, and she was gracious enough to jot this down in about ten minutes (she's that good). Second, I strongly suspect, with absolutely no proof whatsoever, that Wynonna used a ghostwriter for first novel which was released last month, and if Wy's doing it then so am I. Third, this week was extremely busy at work, and I am soooo lazy. Fourth, the said ghostwriter has so many dang aliases I would have no idea how to name her for acknowledgement. I mean I still don't actually know her true given name!
As most of you know, this week was the birthday of the beloved Dr. Seuss. Here is a tribute to my second favorite doctor (Dr. Ruth will always be number one). Now on to the ghostwriter:
This week as you went ‘bout your business each day,
As you went to and fro, and the other-which-way,
You may have heard lots of folks mention a name
Of a man with a plain-to-explain-claim-to-fame.
“What on earth do you mean?” you may query in shock-
(If you happen to dwell underside of a rock)-
What’s that you say? You’ve not heard of this man?
Describe him? That’s hard, let me see if I can…
He was kind of a sort of a frooferty chap
A doctor of sorts, and all over the map-
His thoughts and his words and the things in his mind
Came out into the world almost always in rhyme
Spelling out lessons all creatures might need
Even small children just learning to read.
What’s that you say? Was that all that he did?
Hmmm…let me think back to when I was a kid
Back when I was, myself, just a small little chap
With the world in my head and a book in my lap…
Oh wait, just a minute, it’s all coming back…
There were pictures, and fun ones, not just white and black
Of wild kookie creatures all crazy and bright
And words to describe them that sounded just right
To a quizzical kid, who would rather have heard
About foxes in soxes, and elephant birds,
And brown barbaloots and bellies with stars
And the question of who should have stars upon thars
Than the typical lessons of what to do or not
Based on little stick people and doggies named Spot.
In the wonderful world within these big books
Up all under the crannies, the blannies and nooks
I discovered the art of learning to find
The lessons from stories way up in our minds.
And I learned that these lessons don’t come from a store
They don’t have to be preachy or some kind of chore-
They can open our eyes to some fabulous truths…
Like no matter your color, bright pink or chartreuse,
And no matter your size or your horns or your star-
That whoever, whyever, however who you are-
You’re just as important as the others in town,
Who look this way or that way, or the other way round.
So 500 hats off the that ol’ silly goose-
The one with the title Doctor of Seuss-
Happy birthday to you, and best wishes to all
From the furry and starless and grinchy and small-
Many thanks for your stories and lessons and fun
We have read them and lived them and loved them, each one.
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
