If you could look up “wonderful weirdo” in the 13^th edition of The Chambers Dictionary of the Twentieth Century, I think you might very well find a photograph of Shel Silverstein.

Shel Silverstein (1930-1999), beloved children’s book author, poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, and screenwriter, has over 20 million books in print in 30 languages.

To read Shel Silverstein’s poems click:

Hinges

by Shel Silverstein

If we had hinges on our heads
There wouldn’t be no sin.
‘Cause we could take the bad stuff out
And leave the good stuff in.

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Weird-Bird

 by Shel Silverstein

Birds are flyin’ south for winter.
Here’s the Weird-Bird headin’ north,
Wings a-flappin’, beak a-chatterin’,
Cold head bobbin’ back ‘n’ forth.
He says, ‘It’s not that I like ice
Or freezin’ winds and snowy ground.
It’s just sometimes it’s kind of nice
To be the only bird in town.’

_____________________

The Loser

 by Shel Silverstein

Mama said I’d lose my head
If it wasn’t fastened on.
Today I guess it wasn’t
‘Cause while playing with my cousin
It fell off and rolled away
And now it’s gone.

And I can’t look for it
‘Cause my eyes are in it,
And I can’t call to it
‘Cause my mouth is on it
(Couldn’t hear me anyway
‘Cause my ears are on it),
Can’t even think about it
‘Cause my brain is in it.
So I guess I’ll sit down
On this rock
And rest for just a minute….

_____________________

All three poems from The Poems and Drawings of Shel Silverstein (2002 Box Edition) –
Harper Collins