Monday, February 12, 2007

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout

I have always loved poems. One of my favorite whimsical poets is Shel Silverstein. He is most known for his poem entitled “The Giving Tree”- which is perhaps my least favorite of his works.

My favorite poem of his is the one I am sharing with you. I like to read it because of all the wonderful words. This poem has to be read with absolute clarity of diction and enunciation. It is best, as most poems are, when read to kids- with funny faces, moans, and gags as if you are about to vomit at the real disgusting parts. Enjoy!



Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out
Shel Silverstein 1974


Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout
Would not take the garbage out!
She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans,
Candy the yams and spice the hams,
And though her daddy would scream and shout,
She simply would not take the garbage out.
And so it piled up to the ceilings:
Coffee grounds, potato peelings,
Brown bananas, rotten peas,
Chunks of sour cottage cheese.
It filled the can, it covered the floor,
It cracked the window and blocked the door
With bacon rinds and chicken bones,
Drippy ends of ice cream cones,
Prune pits, peach pits, orange peel,
Gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal,
Pizza crusts and withered greens,
Soggy beans and tangerines,
Crusts of black burned buttered toast,
Gristly bits of beefy roasts. . .
The garbage rolled on down the hall,
It raised the roof, it broke the wall. . .
Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs,
Globs of gooey bubble gum,
Cellophane from green baloney,
Rubbery blubbery macaroni,
Peanut butter, caked and dry,
Curdled milk and crusts of pie,
Moldy melons, dried-up mustard,
Eggshells mixed with lemon custard,
Cold french fried and rancid meat,
Yellow lumps of Cream of Wheat.
At last the garbage reached so high
That it finally touched the sky.
And all the neighbors moved away,
And none of her friends would come to play.
And finally Sarah Cynthia Stout said,
"OK, I'll take the garbage out!"
But then, of course, it was too late. . .
The garbage reached across the state,
From New York to the Golden Gate.
And there, in the garbage she did hate,
Poor Sarah met an awful fate,
That I cannot now relate
Because the hour is much too late.
But children, remember Sarah Stout
And always take the garbage out!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

All she needed was Glad stretch bags.. LOL.. HeHe

Gene Holley said...

EE-oo-WW - I can smell it now! Reminds me of going to "the Dump".

Misty said...

Too funny!

Joseph James said...

I think my favorite line is "rubbery blubbery macaroni"- I just really like the way it sounds.

Jody- ha ha on those glad trash bags... actually- Jason was my 'trash' man and I have had to start taking it out myself. Not a good thing with the cold temperatures.

Anonymous said...

that was hilarious! I actually did laugh out loud!

Joel said...

Love the poem. We are official bloggers come see us at joelandsheree.blogspot.com.

Linda Elms said...

I've never heard this poem! I can hear you reciting it. Maybe you could do this for all of us one night at church? LOL! It sure paints an "ugly, smelly picture".

Joseph James said...

yeah right! lol That would be very holy!

Joseph James said...

Beans- I could not find you.