Don't Forget the Poetry of Shel Silverstein

As my oldest son prepares to graduate from high school and leave for college, I find myself a bit nostalgic about his childhood and the stories we read together when he was small. The Giving Tree was one of our favorites and we read it at least a hundred of times. I think I liked it so much because as a mother I identify with the tree who sacrifices everything she has for the child she loves. She desires only that he is happy and though she misses the boy during his numerous absences, his happiness brings her joy. In the end, though she feels she has little left to offer her loved one, he still needs her. (Sigh and happy thoughts.)

Of course, Mr. Silverstein also authored several additional books for children including his humorous poetry volumes full of prose that children love to read. These poems are not only funny, but touching in a way that children actually get. I'm telling you, when Shel passed away several years ago, the world lost some light. One of my favorites is "The Little Boy and the Old Man," a poem that illustrates how adults can sometimes overlook the elderly and the innocent. Here's a link to a site that displays the poem.

http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Shel-Silverstein/13486

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