Ode to Up

Up. A small word. Two letters, Yet behind them is a world of meaning. Up. A necessity to the English language Without which, communications from our lips Would be utterly useless. For, without you, up, When the sun comes up, I would never wake up. Without you, up, I would not sit up And open up the window To an empty world without you. If you were up on a shelf I’d never stand up to reach you. My lost keys would never turn up. I wouldn’t start up the car Buckle up Or turn up the music. If I don’t speak up about you now, The world will never appreciate your usefulness. Without your two fine letters The world would lack Fine upstanding citizens And upholstered sofas Lying face up on the carpet upstairs. How dull the world would be If we could never crack up And waiting in lines would get awfully long If there were no “next up” Oh, dear up, you are so uplifting My spirits are up in the sky Each time I think of you. I could stay up all night just coming up With new ways to use you. Up. I’d never keep up With my schoolwork without you And my burger would be bare without ketchup. I’ll try to never flip you around I’ll keep your letters in order Because if I slip up and accidentally Read you backwards You suddenly become “P.U.” I’d probably throw up And get all worked up If you didn’t exist at all. I need to hurry up now, my time is almost up But if I look you up in a dictionary Your uses are pretty high up in numbers (Ninety-three, in fact). So, dear audience, Next time you sneak up Or hiccup Upon a puppy Or greet with a “what’s up?” Or burn up a log Or get fired up for the game Or speed up Or climb up Or even suppose The superb supreme supply Of uses this word has to offer, Remember, as I finish my ode, That these two letters Have lived up to their potential. How you use them is up to you.