Ode to a Personal Hero

Every once in a great while
your brain is touched both high and low
by writers who expand your world
like Dickens or Shakespeare or Poe.

But today is a day
reserved for the best
Today we celebrate Theodor Geisel
(Dr. Seuss to all the rest).

From the time I was a wee child
I relished the genius of this man
from Marvin K. Mooney and Bartholomew Cubbins
to Sam-I-Am in Green Eggs and Ham.

There isn't a story that didn't excite me
subtle, moral and funny, they were always on pitch
I committed to memory the shrewd lessons he taught
I learned from Horton, the Sneetches, and the Grinch.

As I got older I studied his politics
his feelings on racism, the environment and war
and I grew to admire this man's mind
beyond his children's writings which I adored

I revered his use of anapestic tetrameter -
no one could rhyme quite like this man
(you can see that I am trying,
but it is mostly just a sham)

And then I met a man
who loved the Seuss as much as I
I pledged my devotion to him in rhyme
as I became his loving bride.

And Dr. Seuss has played a part
in our marriage, our lives and home
whether its quoting, or decorating, or playing a game
we've taken something from every tome.

So I keep Dr. Seuss' genius close by,
he seems to understands the places I'll go
as I teach my children his masterpieces
and watch another generation grow.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!