Nicole Smith

“ALICE
She drank from a bottle called DRINK ME
And she grew so tall,
She ate from a plate called TASTE ME
And down she shrank so small.
And so she changed, while other folks
Never tried nothin' at all.”
― Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

“Are wild strawberries really wild?
Will they scratch an adult, will they snap at a child?

Should you pet them, or let them run free where they roam?
Could they ever relax in a steam-heated home?

Can they be trained to not growl at the guests?
Will a litterbox work or would they make a mess?

Can we make them a Cowberry, herding the cows,
or maybe a Muleberry pulling the plows,
or maybe a Huntberry chasing the grouse,
or maybe a Watchberry guarding the house,

and though they may curl up at your feet oh so sweetly
can you ever feel that you trust them completely?

Or should we make a pet out of something less scary,
like the Domestic Prune or the Imported Cherry,

Anyhow, you've been warned and I will not be blamed
if your Wild Strawberries cannot be tamed.”
― Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

“Ricky was "L" but he's home with the flu,
Lizzie, our "O," had some homework to do,
Mitchell, "E" prob'ly got lost on the way,
So I'm all of the love that could make it today.”
― Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends