Friday, January 18, 2013

Lyrical Thursdays: Sick

Today's poem is brought to you (a little late) by the number 4 and the letters f-l-u.  It is Shel Silverstein's Sick, which is probably the first poem I ever memorized.  It was a favorite of my siblings and mine, and was recited often.  It is also very applicable to me this week, except for the last few lines...  With no further ado (please excuse me while I go cough up a lung):
"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

3 comments:

Wee Sisters Three said...

I love this one, and also learned the whole thing when we were kids. Hope you're feeling better!

Elizabeth Downie said...

Before I even clicked on the post, I knew this would be the poem you used! A classic!!! :)

violet50 said...

I think I'm going to be better tomorrow, too, since it's Saturday. And I actually am getting better.