Oh the Places You’ll Go: A Dick and Jane Seussical
You were Born. Happy Day! You’re a gem in our loupe.
Holy cow, we’re forelorn. Please oh please, NO MORE POOP.
When you eat, how you play, what you say, if you share
Your mom’s hair will turn gray with each feat that you dare.
With your friends on a lark, late each day before dark –
No more snark can Mom hark, you will go to the park.
With your hand on your dirk, you will fight the mad Turk.
Through all danger and murk, you must stealthily lurk.
All the rules you must learn, though you balk like a mule.
If a fool you won’t be, get your tookey to school!
Some days you’ll feel blue, or have things that you rue –
If your kite away flew, get yourself to the zoo.
One night at a dance, in your fancy black pants,
You will glance at a boy and discover romance.
For a kiss purse your lips, from all life take a sip,
Though your nose it may drip, never miss any tips.
And when you’re all grown, and have kids of your own
Though far you may roam, you will always come home.
—
Phew! Writing that was A LOT harder than you’d think. I read an early draft aloud to Dick and Sally. Sally said, “You know how in Dr. Seuss books there are like two lines between each rhyme? I think you have too many rhymes. Also, books usually have two things: characters and problems. You need some big problem for your character to figure out.” This critique would have really discouraged me, except: HOLY SMART 7-YEAR OLD, BATMAN! Who’s a good mama?
Dick and I talk about writing and blogging often. Sometimes he says really nice things about my writing, like what he twittered about my Equal Parenting post: “Jane’s eloquence and intellect humbles me.” And then sometimes he says things like: “Don’t waste so much time on it,” like he did about my poor Seussical. To be fair, this version is much better than the first draft. (So you can only imagine, RIGHT?)
I’m entering Scribbit’s Write-Away contest. I talked about her for about seven paragraphs yesterday, so you probably already know she’s my transparency icon.
Tags: childhood, dr. seuss, oh-the-places-you'll-go, parodies, poetry, writing
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So is Dick transparent too?
I’m just teasing, one comment and I won’t let you forge it huh? Actually I’m rather thrilled to be a human shrinky dink 
Whatever that means.
Michelle at Scribbits last blog post..Tin Can Make-a-Face
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I really like the image of the kite flown away. I feel like that’s what’s happened in my life…
Lady Lyns last blog post..Divorce: an ugly word I have to get used to
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Dr. Seuss wasn’t given enough credit. It is HARD to rhyme. It is even harder to rhyme and have it flow, and make sense. (though, not ALL of his did… He sure did make up a lot of words!)
Yours sounded just fine.
traceys last blog post..Ah, Summer…
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This second version is much better! Very “circle of life.” Hmmm, have I seen that somewhere before? Jane, I continued to be wowed by your literary prowess.
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I once wrote a poem in the style of Dr. Seuss titled “Oh, The Things People Shove in the Places They Shouldn’t” inspired by an actual patient at a hospital I worked at. The poem, with the alternate title of “I Swear Doc, I Just Fell on It”, circulated the hospital (not my doing) with a copy of the x-ray clearly showing the, uh, problem. My poem had a totally different vibe than yours. I have rare moments of writers inspiration (sparked by the strangest things), but you seem to have yours going all the time. Thank you for your blog!
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How creative – I love it!
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