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Friday, February 17, 2017

Poetry Friday: Thinking in Bed

"Bedroom in Arles" by Vincent Van Gogh

Thinking in Bed
by Dennis Lee, 1939

I’m thinking in bed, 
Cause I can’t get out 
Till I learn how to think 
What I’m thinking about; 
What I’m thinking about 
Is a person to be--
A sort of a person 
Who feels like me. 

I might still be Alice, 
Excepting I’m not. 
And Snoopy is super, 
But not when it’s hot; 
I couldn’t be Piglet, 
I don’t think I’m Pooh, 
I know I’m not Daddy 
And I can’t be you. 

My breakfast is waiting. 
My clothes are all out, 
But what was that thing 
I was thinking about? 
I’ll never get up 
If I lie here all day; 
But I still haven’t thought, 
So I’ll just have to stay. 

If I was a Grinch 
I expect I would know. 
But I don’t think so. 
There’s so many people 
I don’t seem to be-- 
I guess I’ll just have to 
Get up and be me.
   --From Alligator Pie, published by Macmillan Canada, 1974. Retrieved from poets.org.
And just for fun--oh, the thinks you can think!
Visit Jone at Check it Out for more Poetry Friday posts.

24 comments:

  1. Dori, this is the perfect poem for me today. I am stuck in a quasi-state of what to do. I should move beyond thinking to doing and get out of my PJs. Then, maybe the day would flow better. Loved the cartoon character's mechanism going off in his head while he was thinking.

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    1. Yep. I'm still in PJs today, too. I guess it's time to move on to something a little more challenging, like a shower. ;)

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    2. Shower done and chores started. At least I feel somewhat productive. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  2. This poem gave me a nice lift. Thank you!

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    1. Good! We all need a little silliness occasionally.

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  3. 'Get up and be me' - a hard thing to do some days. Thanks for the smile today, Dori! =)

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    1. I have a t-shirt that says "Wake up, Be Amazing, Go Back to Bed."

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  4. I just pulled Alligator Pie out to read to the grand-girls, Dori. This is perfect for those what-will-happen-on-Friday questions. Love your choice for us!

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  5. I grew up loving Dennis Lee - he really understood children so very well. In the end, the best thing we can be is ourselves, though sometimes it takes a while to realize that fact!

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    1. It is a wonderful thing, though. Don't you think?

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  6. I sure can relate to this poem! I love Dennis Lee's poems.

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  7. Ooooooh, I'm such a fan of Van Goh paintings as prompts. I have one in a contest right now. Fingers crossed it does well. Great pairing of painting and poem. I'm a little jealous of you still in your PJs. But, it's a long weekend for me. We will see what tomorrow or Sunday OR Monday brings. Have a great week.

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  8. Good luck on that poem, Linda. I did finally get dressed in time to cook dinner. ;)

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  9. Get up and be me... or stay in bed and be me! :) I'm in love with that van Gogh, which I'd never seen before. Bookmarking it for future inspiration.... thank you, Doraine! xo

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  10. Yep, can't stop thinking, and can't remember what I was thinking about... sounds vaguely familiar. LOL! Thanks for the reality check, Dori. :)

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  11. Such a delightful poem. Some days I feel like I'm living with pigpen and I'm Lucy. LOL

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  12. I do my best thinking right after awakening and before getting out of bed. Great choice of poetry and art for today.

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  13. What fun, Doraine - after visiting April just now, I am double-loaded-up with smiles. Happy Weekending! Yay for Pjs.

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  14. I forgot about ALLIGATOR PIE. I used to love that book. I wonder where my copy went. Thanks for the reminder!

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  15. This is a great poem to use when teaching ALLUSION to kids!

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