Tuesday, January 25, 2011

MY FAVORITE


Of all the lovely poems in "Wings from the Wind," this was my childhood favorite.  Obvious, due to the worn and smudged page.  It is a complete opposite of all the poems about daffodils, violets and chirping birds.

                                Rebecca, Who Slammed Doors for Fun and Perished Miserably



A Trick that everyone abhors
In Little Girls is slamming Doors.
A Wealthy Banker's little Daughter
Who lived in Palace Green, Bayswater
(By name Rebecca Offendort),
Was given to this Furious Sport.
She would deliberately go 
And Slam the door like Billy-Ho!
To make her Uncle Jacob start.
She was not really bad at heart,
But only rather rude and wild;
She was an Aggravating Child.

It happened that a Marble Bust
Of Abraham was standing just
Above the Door this little Lamb
Had carefully prepared to Slam,
And down it came!  It knocked her flat!
It laid her out!  She looked like that!

Her Funeral Sermon (which was long
and followed by a Sacred Song)
Mentioned her Virtues, it is true,
But dwelt upon her Vices, too,
And showed the Dreadful  End of One
Who goes and slams the Door for Fun.

Hilaire Belloc

1 comment:

  1. I Love this! Have you ever read Ladies First! by Shel Silverstein. It was one of our boys favorites when they were smaller. If you've never read it I'll e-mail you a copy:)

    Paulette
    p.s. really like your photo

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