Ogden Nash is often cited for his whimsical poems. Perhaps you will enjoy this one.
First Child ... Second Child
FIRST
Be it a girl, or one of the boys,
It is scarlet all over its avoirdupois,
It is red, it is boiled; could the obstetrician
Have possibly been a lobstertrician?
His degrees and credentials were hunky-dory,
But how's for an infantile inventory?
Here's the prodigy, here's the miracle!
Whether its head is oval or spherical,
You rejoice to find it has only one,
Having dreaded a two-headed daughter or son;
Here's the phenomenon all complete,
It's got two hands, it's got two feet,
Only natural, but pleasing, because
For months you have dreamed of flippers or claws.
Furthermore, it is fully equipped:
Fingers and toes with nails are tipped;
It's even got eyes, and a mouth clear cut;
When the mouth comes open the eyes go shut,
When the eyes go shut, the breath is loosed
And the presence of lungs can be deduced.
Let the rockets flash and the cannon thunder,
This child is a marvel, a matchless wonder.
A staggering child, a child astounding,
Dazzling, diaperless, dumbfounding,
Stupendous, miraculous, unsurpassed,
A child to stagger and flabbergast,
Bright as a button, sharp as a thorn,
And the only perfect one ever born.
SECOND
Arrived this evening at half-past nine.
Everybody is doing fine.
Is it a boy, or quite the reverse?
You can call in the morning and ask the nurse.
Ogden Nash
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Whimsy
Ogden Nash is often cited for his whimsical poems. Perhaps you will enjoy this one.
First Child ... Second Child
FIRST
Be it a girl, or one of the boys,
It is scarlet all over its avoirdupois,
It is red, it is boiled; could the obstetrician
Have possibly been a lobstertrician?
His degrees and credentials were hunky-dory,
But how's for an infantile inventory?
Here's the prodigy, here's the miracle!
Whether its head is oval or spherical,
You rejoice to find it has only one,
Having dreaded a two-headed daughter or son;
Here's the phenomenon all complete,
It's got two hands, it's got two feet,
Only natural, but pleasing, because
For months you have dreamed of flippers or claws.
Furthermore, it is fully equipped:
Fingers and toes with nails are tipped;
It's even got eyes, and a mouth clear cut;
When the mouth comes open the eyes go shut,
When the eyes go shut, the breath is loosed
And the presence of lungs can be deduced.
Let the rockets flash and the cannon thunder,
This child is a marvel, a matchless wonder.
A staggering child, a child astounding,
Dazzling, diaperless, dumbfounding,
Stupendous, miraculous, unsurpassed,
A child to stagger and flabbergast,
Bright as a button, sharp as a thorn,
And the only perfect one ever born.
SECOND
Arrived this evening at half-past nine.
Everybody is doing fine.
Is it a boy, or quite the reverse?
You can call in the morning and ask the nurse.
Ogden Nash
First Child ... Second Child
FIRST
Be it a girl, or one of the boys,
It is scarlet all over its avoirdupois,
It is red, it is boiled; could the obstetrician
Have possibly been a lobstertrician?
His degrees and credentials were hunky-dory,
But how's for an infantile inventory?
Here's the prodigy, here's the miracle!
Whether its head is oval or spherical,
You rejoice to find it has only one,
Having dreaded a two-headed daughter or son;
Here's the phenomenon all complete,
It's got two hands, it's got two feet,
Only natural, but pleasing, because
For months you have dreamed of flippers or claws.
Furthermore, it is fully equipped:
Fingers and toes with nails are tipped;
It's even got eyes, and a mouth clear cut;
When the mouth comes open the eyes go shut,
When the eyes go shut, the breath is loosed
And the presence of lungs can be deduced.
Let the rockets flash and the cannon thunder,
This child is a marvel, a matchless wonder.
A staggering child, a child astounding,
Dazzling, diaperless, dumbfounding,
Stupendous, miraculous, unsurpassed,
A child to stagger and flabbergast,
Bright as a button, sharp as a thorn,
And the only perfect one ever born.
SECOND
Arrived this evening at half-past nine.
Everybody is doing fine.
Is it a boy, or quite the reverse?
You can call in the morning and ask the nurse.
Ogden Nash
- Thomas Hood
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Former U.S. Poet Laureates Billy Collins & Donald Hal on
Thanks for the heads up DWill! I enjoyed listening to the program. Bill Collins and Donald Hall read a few of their own poems.
Two former U.S. Poet Laureates on Diane Rehm ShowTwo Former U.S. Poet Laureates, Billy Collins and Donald Hall
Billy Collins discusses his latest poetry collection, titled "Ballistics." Donald Hall on his new memoir, "Unpacking the Boxes."
Guests
Billy Collins, U.S. Poet Laureate 2001 to 2003. He is a Distinguished Professor of English at City University of New York, where he has taught for the past 30 years.
Donald Hall, U.S. Poet Laureate 2006-2007. He has received several national poetry prizes and published more than 15 books of poetry.
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White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson & TW Higgi
Brenda Wineapple "White Heat" (Knopf)
The reclusive Emily Dickinson sent letters and poems to a Massachusetts writer and abolitionist for more than thirty years. After her death, he played a key role in revealing Dickinson's poetic genius to the world. The story and legacy of their unlikely and enduring friendship.
Brenda Wineapple, is the author of "Genet," "Sister Brother," and "Hawthorne. Her essays appear in many publications, including "The New York Times Book Review" and "The Nation.
Brenda Wineapple interview
The reclusive Emily Dickinson sent letters and poems to a Massachusetts writer and abolitionist for more than thirty years. After her death, he played a key role in revealing Dickinson's poetic genius to the world. The story and legacy of their unlikely and enduring friendship.
Brenda Wineapple, is the author of "Genet," "Sister Brother," and "Hawthorne. Her essays appear in many publications, including "The New York Times Book Review" and "The Nation.
Brenda Wineapple interview
- Saffron
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One more interesting little tidbit from the NPR interview of Brenda Wineapple. A woman called into the Diane Rehm Show to tell a story (that she was told by her grandmother who experienced the events first hand) about a note her great grandparents received from Emily Dickinson. The story goes that when her great uncle, Benjamin Kendal Emerson was a small lad he was great friends with Gilbert Dickinson, Emily's nephew. Benjamin was noted as having lovely red curls and apparently the two boys would sleep over at each others houses. One day the two boys played in an open sewer and both were taken ill. Gilbert died and Benjamin recovered. Emily apparently sent over a small gift with the note:
Missing my own
I search in other trundle beds
in hopes curls are in
Missing my own
I search in other trundle beds
in hopes curls are in
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Genuinely Genius
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