Dr. Seuss

“It all started way back...

such a long, long time back...

Way back in the days when the grass was still green

and the pond was still wet

and the clouds were still clean.”

Specifically March 2, in 1904,

A small boy was born. His name: Theodor.

He grew up in Springfield ‘til he left as a teen

And he went somewhere else for a different routine.

Where did he go? Dartmouth college of course.

He was a class clown, but he felt some remorse.

So he attended Oxford to make his dad proud

But it was too quiet when Ted wanted to be loud.

Before he left, though, he met his future first wife

(He was married a total of two times in his life).

By this time he was using the memorable name,

The one that earned him his fortune and fame.

His middle name, Seuss, was the one that he used,

But what would he write about first? He mused.

His first children’s book was a wonderful feat:

And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street.

Once he got started, he just couldn’t stop.

He kept writing and writing ‘til he was on top.

Seuss claimed he could write a book with just 50 words

But his publisher said that that was absurd.

The result was a very popular story:

Green Eggs and Ham was his claim to glory.

Although Seuss had no kids of his own,

Writing children’s stories made him feel less alone.

He wrote 44 books by the time his life ended.

From beginning to end, each was just splendid.

He died of cancer in 1991,

By that time, there were many awards he had won.

The book that he’s known for, The Cat in the Hat,

Is about two bored kids, a fish and a cat.

In another classic, Horton Hears a Who,

An elephant’s findings are challenged by a kangaroo.

And finally, of course, there’s The Lorax

Where a strange little man saves trees from an ax.

I grew up reading these, plus many more

And so they are books I have come to adore.

I’ll leave you with this, one final note,

My all-time favorite Dr. Seuss quote:

“And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free

As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.”