Poetry Month with Shel Silverstein

 

Shel Silverstein poems are short, funny but most of all educational. 

Kids love them and so do I. Read them with your child, laugh, and talk about them.

 

The Voice 

by Shel Silverstein

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.”

The poem is about inner You. It makes You sit down and think back when there is a tough decision to be made. When Your heart says one thing and Your head tell another when You have to decide what is right for You. The other part of the poem says how there are going to be all sorts of people who will try and give You advice on what is the right decision. The words “listen to the voice that speaks inside” give emphasis that it is important to listen to Your inner voice and that no matter what people tell You, You are the only one that can make the decision. Overall, You must remember no matter what happens and what You are facing, You always have to base Your decisions on what You want to do and what You think is right. Only You can make the right decision for yourself.

 

The Homework Machine 

by Shel Silverstein

The Homework Machine,

Oh, the Homework Machine,

Most perfect contraption that's ever been seen.

Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,

Snap-on the switch, and in ten seconds' time,

Your homework comes out, quick, and clean as can be.

Here it is— 'nine plus four?' and the answer is 'three.'

Three?

Oh me . . .

I guess it's not as perfect

As I thought it would be.

I love that poem. In your life You can look for a shortcut, an easy way to go get it done, someone to do it for you, procrastinate, build a machine but the machine can make a mistake. You should not trust a machine to think for You. You have to take things in your hands, you are a manager of small and big things in your life, especially your homework.

 

Dream 

by Shel Silverstein

“I’ll take the dream I had last night

And put it in my freezer,

So someday long and far away

When I’m an old grey geezer,

I’ll take it out and thaw it out,

This lovely dream I’ve frozen,

And boil it up and sit me down

A dip my old cold toes in.”

Freezing is preserving something. The same with your dreams. You can preserve the dreams of your youth for later when you are old, wise, and gray. Taking your dreams out and thawing them is a waste. It is better to keep them for later when you have time to dips your  “old cold toes in,” soaking them up and reminiscing in the dreams you once had as a young man.

 

Visit

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/fun/