It’s been a while since I’ve participated in Limerick Friday. Distractions, distractions.
This one is inspired by one of my favorite Shel Silverstein poems.
A wavy haired boy named Ned,
Felt that some of his locks should be shed,
He shaved his head bald,
Then was shocked and appalled,
That the waves weren’t his hair, but his head.
Here is Silverstein’s poem:
Wavy Hair
I thought that I had wavy hair
Until I shaved. Instead,
I find that I have straight hair
And a very wavy head.
My fourth grade teacher read that poem to us and the illustration I posted is something I think of so often. What a funny, funny man. I love that so many of his poems and drawings are simple enough for children to enjoy, and clever enough to appreciate the rest of their lives.
I love Shel Silverstein! I grew up on “A Light In the Attic,” which (as you probably know) is where that poem comes from. And yours is an excellent variation on the theme!
i love his stuff too! my boys really enjoyed his books and apparently still do.
Travis is a big fan of Shel Silverstein as well. I’m almost ashamed to say that I hadn’t heard of him until you talked about The Giving Tree a few years ago. I read *a lot* as a kid but it was mostly what I ordered from the Scholastic Books catalogs or from book fairs. Anyway, love the limerick tribute.
Sidewalk Ends, A Light In the Attic… OH MY GOSH I wore those out!!! I introduced Grant to them a few months back and he sat up at night with the light on reading past his bedtime for a few weeks straight. I memorized the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich poem for Ms. Blazine’s class in 7th grade and STILL remember parts of it!
Are you going to compile a Limerick book?! You could totally do it! But, I wouldn’t just want the limericks… the stories behind them are one of the best parts. Especially the ones of your grandparents. Love it, Mary.
Yeah – he’s one of our favorite authors too! Have you read Runny Babbit? You really should, if you haven’t. We speak Runny Babbit around here frequently. His unique way with words has seeped into the daily banter of our family.
I just love Shel Silverstein. I managed to buy “Sidewalk” and “Attic” at the book fair for a very low price while I was in college. I can lose so much time when I start reading them. I like the idea of the limerick book.