Shel Silverstein

Poems by Shel Silverstein

Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer and musician. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before being drafted into the United States Army. During his rise to prominence in the 1950s, his illustrations were published in various newspapers and magazines, including the adult-oriented Playboy. He also wrote a satirical, adult-oriented alphabet book, Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book.

As a children's author, some of his most acclaimed works include The Giving Tree, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and A Light in the Attic. His works have been translated into more than 47 languages and have sold more than 20 million copies. As a songwriter, Silverstein wrote the 1969 Johnny Cash track 'A Boy Named Sue', which peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. His songs have been recorded and popularized by a wide range of other acts including Tompall Glaser, The Irish Rovers and Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. He was the recipient of two Grammy Awards as well as nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards.

His book A Light in the Attic is dedicated to his daughter who died at age 11. Silverstein died at home in Key West, Florida, of a heart attack on May 10, 1999, at age 68.

Poems

  • 100,000 Pennies Read Poem
  • 25 Minutes To Go Read Poem
  • A Boy Named Sue Read Poem
  • A Couple More Years Read Poem
  • A Front Row Seat To Hear Ole Johnny Sing Read Poem
  • A Light In The Attic Read Poem
  • Acapulco Goldie Read Poem
  • Alimony Read Poem
  • All About You Read Poem
  • All The Time In The World Read Poem
  • AntEater Read Poem
  • Aphrodisiac Read Poem
  • Ations Read Poem
  • Backward Bill Read Poem
  • Batty Read Poem
  • Beans Taste Fine Read Poem
  • Bear In There Read Poem
  • Better Not Ask Me Read Poem
  • Bigtime Read Poem
  • Bituminous? Read Poem
  • Boa Constrictor Read Poem
  • Bubblin' Up Read Poem
  • Bury Me In My Shades Read Poem
  • Captain Hook Read Poem
  • Changing Of The Seasons Read Poem
  • Channels Read Poem
  • Clarence Read Poem
  • Cloony The Clown Read Poem
  • Cloudy Sky Read Poem
  • Colors Read Poem
  • Come After Jinny Read Poem
  • Come Skating Read Poem
  • Crocodile's Toothache Read Poem
  • Crouchin’ On The Outside Read Poem
  • Crowded Tub Read Poem
  • Daddy What If? Read Poem
  • Dance To It Read Poem
  • Danny O'Dare Read Poem
  • Daylight Dreamer Read Poem
  • Dentist Dan Read Poem
  • Diet Song Read Poem
  • Dirty Face Read Poem
  • Dirty Ol’ Me Read Poem
  • Don'T Change On My Account Read Poem
  • Don't Give A Dose To The One You Love Most Read Poem
  • Double-Tail Dog Read Poem
  • Drain My Brain Read Poem
  • Dreadful Read Poem
  • Eight Balloons Read Poem
  • Enter This Deserted House Read Poem
  • Everybody's Makin' It Big But Me Read Poem
  • Examination Read Poem
  • Father Of A Boy Named Sue Read Poem
  • Floobie Doobie Doo Read Poem
  • Folk Singer's Blues Read Poem
  • For Sale Read Poem
  • For What She Had Done Read Poem
  • Forgotten Language Read Poem
  • Freakin’ At The Freaker’s Ball Read Poem
  • Friendship Read Poem
  • God's Wheel Read Poem
  • Goodnight Little Houseplant Read Poem
  • Grizzly Bear Read Poem
  • Gumeye Ball Read Poem
  • Hamlet As Told On The Street Read Poem
  • Handy Man Read Poem
  • Hard To Please Read Poem
  • Hector The Collector Read Poem
  • Helping Read Poem
  • Hey Nelly Nelly Read Poem
  • Hippo's Hope Read Poem
  • Homemade Boat Read Poem
  • Hoodoo Voodoo Lady Read Poem
  • How Many, How Much Read Poem
  • Hug O'War Read Poem
  • Hungry Mungry Read Poem
  • I Call That True Love Read Poem
  • I Can’t Touch The Sun Read Poem
  • I Got Stoned And I Missed It Read Poem
  • I Know You Little, I Love You Lots Read Poem
  • I Once Knew A Woman Read Poem
  • I'm My Own Grandpa Read Poem
  • I've Been Working So Hard Read Poem
  • Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too Read Poem
  • If I Had A Brontosaurus Read Poem
  • If The World Was Crazy Read Poem
  • In Search Of Cinderella Read Poem
  • In The Hills Of Shiloh Read Poem
  • Invitation Read Poem
  • It's Dark In Here Read Poem
  • I’m So Good That I Don’t Have To Brag Read Poem
  • Jimmy Jet And His TV Set Read Poem
  • Joey Read Poem
  • Judy Read Poem
  • Kick It Again Read Poem
  • Kiss It Away Read Poem
  • Ladies First Read Poem
  • Lady Godiva Read Poem
  • Lazy Jane Read Poem
  • Lemmebesomethin’ Read Poem
  • Liberated Lady 1999 Read Poem
  • Listen To The Mustn'ts Read Poem
  • Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony Read Poem
  • Little Green Buttons Read Poem
  • Lookin’ For Myself Read Poem
  • Loser Read Poem
  • Love Read Poem
  • Lydia Pinkham Read Poem
  • Magic Read Poem
  • Magical Eraser Read Poem
  • Makin' It Natural Read Poem
  • Mama I'll Sing One For You Read Poem
  • Man Who Got No Sign Read Poem
  • Marie Laveau Read Poem
  • Masochistic Baby Read Poem
  • Me-Stew Read Poem
  • Melinda Mae Read Poem
  • Mermaid Read Poem
  • Merry Read Poem
  • Messy Room Read Poem
  • Modern Talk Read Poem
  • Morgan’s Curse Read Poem
  • Mr. Grumpledump's Song Read Poem
  • My Beard Read Poem
  • My Mind Keeps Movin’ Read Poem
  • My Rules Read Poem
  • Never Read Poem
  • Never Bite A Married Woman On The Thigh Read Poem
  • No Difference Read Poem
  • No Thank You Read Poem
  • On The Way To The Bottom Read Poem
  • One Inch Tall Read Poem
  • Paranoid Read Poem
  • Pathetic Way Of Getting Over Me Read Poem
  • Paul Bunyan Read Poem
  • Peace Proposal Read Poem
  • Peanut-Butter Sandwich Read Poem
  • Picture Puzzle Piece Read Poem
  • Plastic Read Poem
  • Point Of View Read Poem
  • Polly In A Porny Read Poem
  • Pour Me Another Tequila Sheila Read Poem
  • Put Something In Read Poem
  • Quaaludes Again Read Poem
  • Rain Read Poem
  • Recipe For A Hippopotamus Sandwich Read Poem
  • Reflection Read Poem
  • Ring Of Grass Read Poem
  • Rock 'N' Roll Band Read Poem
  • Rosalie's Good Eats Cafe Read Poem
  • Rotten Convention Read Poem
  • Runny’s Heading Rabits Read Poem
  • Sarah Cynthia Slyvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out Read Poem
  • Scum Of The Earth Read Poem
  • Shadow Race Read Poem
  • She’s My Ever Lovin’ Machine Read Poem
  • Show It At The Beach Read Poem
  • Sick Read Poem
  • Sing Me A Rainbow Read Poem
  • Skin Stealer Read Poem
  • Sky Seasoning Read Poem
  • Smart Read Poem
  • Smoke Off Read Poem
  • Snowball Read Poem
  • Somebody Has To Read Poem
  • Somebody Stole My Rig Read Poem
  • Someday’s Here Read Poem
  • Someone Ate The Baby Read Poem
  • Something Missing Read Poem
  • Son Of A Scoundrel Read Poem
  • Stacy Brown Got Two Read Poem
  • Stop Thief! Read Poem
  • Strange Restaurant Read Poem
  • Stupid Pencil Maker Read Poem
  • Sure Hit Songwriter’s Pen Read Poem
  • Sylvia's Mother Read Poem
  • Tell Me Read Poem
  • Testing The Bomb Read Poem
  • The Bagpipe Who Didn’t Say No Read Poem
  • The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan Read Poem
  • The Bear, The Fire, And The Snow Read Poem
  • The Boa Constrictor Song Read Poem
  • The Bridge Read Poem
  • The Dragon Of Grindly Grun Read Poem
  • The Generals Read Poem
  • The Giving Tree Read Poem
  • The Great Conch Train Robbery Read Poem
  • The Homework Machine Read Poem
  • The Hunter Read Poem
  • The Land Of Happy Read Poem
  • The Little Boy And The Old Man Read Poem
  • The Loser Read Poem
  • The Meehoo With An Exactlywatt Read Poem
  • The Monkey Read Poem
  • The Nap Taker Read Poem
  • The Oak and the Rose Read Poem
  • The Perfect High Read Poem
  • The Perfect Wave Read Poem
  • The Sitter Read Poem
  • The Smoke Off Read Poem
  • The Toucan Read Poem
  • The Unicorn Read Poem
  • The Voice Read Poem
  • The Winner Read Poem
  • The Worlds Greatest Smoke Off Read Poem
  • They Held Me Down Read Poem
  • They've Put A Brassiere On A Camel Read Poem
  • Three-Legged Man Read Poem
  • Thumbs Read Poem
  • Thumbsucker Read Poem
  • Ticklish Tom Read Poem
  • Time Read Poem
  • Toplesstown Read Poem
  • Tryin' On Clothes Read Poem
  • Turkey? Read Poem
  • Twistable Turnable Man Read Poem
  • Ugliest Man In Town Read Poem
  • Vegematic Read Poem
  • Vegetables Read Poem
  • Warning Read Poem
  • Wastebasket Brother Read Poem
  • Wavy Read Poem
  • Weird-Bird Read Poem
  • Whatif Read Poem
  • When She Cries Read Poem
  • Where The Sidewalk Ends Read Poem
  • Who does she think she is.... Read Poem
  • Who's Taller? Read Poem
  • Won't You? Read Poem
  • Workin’ It Out Read Poem
  • Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda Read Poem
  • Your Time's Comin' Read Poem
  • Yowzah Read Poem
  • Zebra Question Read Poem
  • Openin’ Night Read Poem
  • When I Am Gone Read Poem