y The
Ill tell you the story of y the
Who worked in a circus that came through town.
His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,
But he just wasnt, just wasnt funny at all.
He had a tromboo play loud silly tunes,
He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.
He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and tall,
But he just wasnt, just wasnt funny at all.
And every time he did a trick,
Everyo a little sick.
And every time he told a joke,
Folks sighed as if their hearts were broke.
And every time he lost a shoe,
Everyone looked awfully blue.
And every time he stood on his head,
Everyone screamed, "Go back to bed!"
And every time he made a leap,
Everybody fell asleep.
And every time he ate his tie,
Everyone began to cry.
And y could not make any money
Simply because he was not funny.
One day he said, "Ill tell this town
How it feels to be an unfunny ."
Aold them all why he looked so sad,
Aold them all why he felt so bad.
He told of Pain and Rain and Cold,
He told of Darkness in his soul,
And after he finished his tale of woe,
Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no,
They laughed until they shook the trees
With "Hah-Hah-Hahs" and "Hee-Hee-Hees."
They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,
They laughed all day, they laughed all week,
They laughed until they had a fit,
They laughed until their jackets split.
The laughter spread for miles around
To every city, every town,
Over mountains, cross the sea,
From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.
And soon the whole world rang with laughter,
Lasting till forever after,
While y stood in the circus tent,
With his head drooped low and his shoulders bent.
And he said,"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT -
IM FUNNY JUST BY ACT."
And while the world laughed outside.
y the sat down and cried.
e Skating
They said e skating;
They said its so nice.
They said e skating;
Id do twice.
They said e skating;
It sounded nice.
I wore roller-
They meant ice.
Danny ODare
Danny ODare, the dan bear,
Ran away from the ty Fair,
Ran right up to my back stair
And thought hed do some dan there.
He started jumpin and skippin and ki,
He did a dance called the Funky Chi,
He did the Polka, he did the Twist,
He bent himself into a pretzel like this.
He did the Dog and the Jitterbug,
He did the Jerk and the Bunny Hug.
He did the Waltz and the Boogaloo,
He did the Hokey-Pokey too.
He did the Bop and the Mashed Potata,
He did the Split and the See Ya Later.
And now hes down upon one knee,
Bowin oh so charmingly,
And winkin and smilin--its easy to see
Danny ODare wants to dah me.
How Many, How Much
How many slams in an old s door?
Depends how loud you shut it.
How many slices in a bread?
Depends how thin you cut it.
How much good inside a day?
Depends how good you live em.
How much love inside a friend?
Depends how much you give em.
Its Dark in Here
Buy Shel Silversteins Poetry
I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And its rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear