Section: «Poems»

Verse (ancient Greek ὁ στίχος — row, structure), a term in versification used in several meanings: artistic speech organized by division into rhythmically commensurate segments; poetry in the narrow sense; in particular, it implies the properties of versification of a particular tradition ("antique verse", "Akhmatova's verse", etc.); a line of poetic text organized according to a certain rhythmic pattern ("My uncle of the most honest rules").

The Bagpipe Who Didn’t Say No

It was nine o'clock at midnight at a quarter after threeWhen a turtle met a bagpipe on the shoreside by the sea,And the turtle said, 'My dearie,May I..

© Shel Silverstein

Skin Stealer

This evening I unzipped my skinAnd carefully unscrewed my head,Exactly as I always doWhen I prepare myself for bed.And while I slept a coo-coo cameAs..

© Shel Silverstein

The Monkey

1 little monkeywas goin' 2 the storewhen he saw a banana 3he'd never climbed be4.By 5 o'clock that evenin'he was 6 with a stomach ache'cause 7 green..

© Shel Silverstein

All About You

In the Grandville greyhound station in the lightly drizzlin' rainSittin' on my suitcase goin' quietly insane all about you babe all about youAll..

© Shel Silverstein

Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda

All the Woulda-Coulda-ShouldasLayin' in the sun,Talkin' 'bout the thingsThey woulda coulda shoulda done...But those Woulda-Coulda-ShouldasAll ran..

© Shel Silverstein

Listen To The Mustn'Ts

Listen to 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..

© Shel Silverstein

The Voice

There is a voice inside of youthat whispers all day long,'I feel that this is right for me,I know that this is wrong.'No teacher, preacher, parent..

© Shel Silverstein

Weird-Bird

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..

© Shel Silverstein

Magic

Sandra's seen a leprechaun,Eddie touched a troll,Laurie danced with witches once,Charlie found some goblins' gold.Donald heard a mermaid sing,Susy..

© Shel Silverstein

Yowzah

Well it wasn't too very long ago you know some folks walked with a hi-dee-hoAnd other folks walked around kind of lowSayin' Yowzah and Sho nuff and..

© Shel Silverstein

Stop Thief!

Policeman, policeman,Help me please.Someone went and stole my knees.I’d chase him down but I suspectMy feet and legs just won’t connect.

© Shel Silverstein

Peanut-Butter Sandwich

I'll sing you a poem of a silly young kingWho played with the world at the end of a string,But he only loved one single thing—And that was just a..

© Shel Silverstein

Bigtime

Hey dragged up my holly and I pull it to a town for the bigtimeHey rig down the road I tore 'em down I'm a bigtimeI wheeled right in them swinging..

© Shel Silverstein

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,Went for a ride in a flying shoe,'Hooray!''What fun!''It's time we flew!'Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me..

© Shel Silverstein

Hippo's Hope

There once was a hippo who wanted to fly --Fly-hi-dee, try-hi-dee, my-hi-dee-ho.So he sewed him some wings that could flap through the sky..

© Shel Silverstein

In Search Of Cinderella

From dusk to dawn,From town to town,Without a single clue,I seek the tender, slender footTo fit this crystal shoe.From dusk to dawn,I try it onEach..

© Shel Silverstein

Sky Seasoning

A piece of skyBroke off and fellThrough the crack in the ceilingRight into my soup,KERPLOP!I really must stateThat I usually hateLentil soup, but I..

© Shel Silverstein

Your Time's Comin'

I knew that she belonged to someone else at the time,But lonesome-lookin' women are a weakness of mine;And so I bought that stuff about the love he..

© Shel Silverstein

Cloony The Clown

I'll tell you the story of Cloony the ClownWho worked in a circus that came through town.His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,But he just..

© Shel Silverstein

Channels

Channel 1's no fun.Channel 2's just news.Channel 3's hard to see.Channel 4 is just a bore.Channel 5 is all jive.Channel 6 needs to be fixed.Channel 7..

© Shel Silverstein

Strange Restaurant

I said, 'I'll take the T-bone steak.'A soft voice mooed, 'Oh wow.'And I looked up and realizedThe waitress was a cow.I cried, 'Mistake--forget the..

© Shel Silverstein

The Unicorn

A long time ago, when the earth was greenand there was more kinds of animals than you've ever seen,and they run around free while the world was bein'..

© Shel Silverstein

I Know You Little, I Love You Lots

I know you little, I love you lots,my love for you could fill ten pots,fifteen buckets, sixteen cans,three teacups, and four dishpans.

© Shel Silverstein

Lazy Jane

LazylazylazylazylazylazyJane.Shewantsadrinkofwatersoshewaitsandwaitsandwaitsandwaitsandwaitsforittorain.

© Shel Silverstein

Danny O'Dare

Danny O'Dare, the dancin' bear,Ran away from the County Fair,Ran right up to my back stairAnd thought he'd do some dancin' there.He started jumpin'..

© Shel Silverstein