A "Bad" Word Poem can be kind of Fun....

Almost everyday for almost 17 years I have been reading to my children (and any other child that happened to be in my home). I love children's books! I have lots of favorites that I never get tired of reading. Luckily, even though my youngest is 9 1/2, he still wants me to read to him before he goes to bed.

Last night because I was working, he offered to gather the books. I was pleasantly surprised when he chose a book titled, "Poetry Speaks to Children". The book is filled with fun, silly, thoughtful, and even sad poems. Cameron read some and I read some. We had a great time. But the funnest poem we read, that gave us giggles enough to last through all the poems, was the one named "Gas".

I have to tell you that it has a word in it that in our house is considered a "bad" word. But, because of the truth that the poem speaks, and the possibility of a great giggle-fest, I'm going to share it with you.

GAS
written by C.K. Williams
for his grandchildren

There's a land called France
that has an odd law,
a law that might make you
drop your jaw,
for what it proclaims
in words very clear,
is that FARTING
IS FORBIDDEN HERE.

Did you say FARTING?
Did you say FORBIDDEN?

Yes, it's true,
there's a country called France
in which FARTING
must be HIDDEN,
BECAUSE FARTING
IN FRANCE
IS FORBIDDEN!

Though it's not so in Canada,
and not in Spain,
and not on the prairie,
and not on the plain,
and not in countries like Egypt
where camels are ridden,
in France,
on the rivers and mountains,
on the roads and in fields,
FARTING IS FORBIDDEN!

Will a policeman arrest you
in France
if you FART?
Nobody knows.
But, he might blow his whistle,
or pinch your toes.

So what should you say
if a policeman in France
asks, DID YOU FART?
You should answer as quickly as you can,
"THAT WASN'T ME, IT WAS MY BROTHER!"

And what should your brother
say if he's asked
DID YOU FART?
Why, he should reply,
"THAT WAS MY OTHER,
LITTLE BROTHER!"

And what about him
your baby brother,
what should he say
if someone asks him,
DID YOU FART?

Well, he won't answer,
because he can't talk,
though it's well known
that babies FART
before they can walk!

We pretend that we don't,
and cover our nose,
but it's really a pose
because everyone knows
that EVERYONE FARTS:
Fathers, and mothers,
and sisters and brothers,
grandmas and grandpas, and babies who goo.

So if one day in France
a policeman
should inquire of you,
"Excuse me, DID YOU FART?
DID YOUR BROTHERS FART, TOO?"

Without hesitation,
you and your brothers
must shout:
"IT"S NOT US WHO FARTED,
YOU SILLY PERSON,
IT WAS YOU!"