20 of the Best Shel Silverstein Poems Everyone Should Read
1 Invitation
Come with me, said the little moon, And dance among the stars. We’ll sail the silver Milky Way, And ride the shooting cars.
2 Runny’s Heading Rabbits
Runny Babbit Ran so fast that he ran behind Himself at last.
3 Homework Machine
If you had a homework machine, And it did all your work for you, Would you learn anything at all? Or would you just be bored and blue?
4 For Sale
For sale: Slightly used childhood. One owner. Needs work. All parts are original. Must sell immediately.
5 Gardener
I’m a gardener, And I grow dreams. I plant them in the soil of sleep And water them with tears of joy.
6 Falling Up
Upside down, down the stairs, I’m falling up, I’m going nowhere. Upside down, head over heels, I’m falling up, and it feels like reels.
7 The Wild Cherote
The Wild Cherote Smoked a cigar And blew the smoke Up to the stars.
8 Put Something In
Put something in the empty pot, Even if it’s just a seed. The rain will come, And the sun will shine, And some green thing Will come stealing out of the ground.
9 Snowball
I made a snowball So big, I couldn’t Throw it.
10 Giving Tree
The giving tree gave and gave Till everything was gone. And then it was happy, Just because it had been strong.
11 Listen to the Mustn’ts
Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’t, The I can’t, the you shonts.
12 The Missing Piece
There once was a piece of a puzzle Who thought he was very unique? He was sure that without him, The puzzle would be incomplete.
But one day, the puzzle was finished, And the piece was left all alone. He realized then that he wasn’t so special, And that the puzzle was fine without him.
13 Sick
I’m sick of following the rules, And doing what I’m told. I’m going to make my own rules, And I’m going to be bold.
14 My Dog
My dog is my best friend. He’s always there for me. When I’m happy, he wags his tail. When I’m sad, he licks my face.
15 The Giving Tree
The giving tree gave and gave, Till everything was gone. And then it was happy, Just because it had been strong.
16 Where the Sidewalk Ends
Where the sidewalk ends, The adventure begins. Where the sidewalk ends, The dreamer wins.
17 I Want to Be a Little Bird
I want to be a little bird And fly up high. I want to see the world below And touch the sky.
18 The Giraffe
The giraffe is a silly beast, With a neck so long. He can eat the leaves from the tallest trees, And sing a silly song.
19 The Butterfly
The butterfly was once a worm, But now he’s free to fly. He’s a beautiful creature, With wings that kiss the sky.
20 The Dandelion
The dandelion is a weed, But I think it’s beautiful. It has a yellow crown, And it’s full of seeds.