Paschal Moon: Anything can be

When Shel Silverstein died of a heart attack in 1999 at age 68, he left a body of work that encompassed cartoons, poems, movie scripts, songs, television shows and miscellaneous stuff that filled in the spaces. His output also spanned adult and child audiences. It’s hard to imagine any child growing up in the late 20^th Century not having wrapped their mind around Where the Sidewalk Ends, or The Giving Tree, at the very least.

I’m going to give you a very small idea of his range, starting with this iconic cartoon he did very early on for The New Yorker:

And a few short ones that speak to me right now:

“Listen to the MUSTN’TS”

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,

Listen to the DON’TS

Listen to the SHOULDN’TS

The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS

Listen to the NEVER HAVES

Then listen close to me—

Anything can happen, child,

ANYTHING can be.

 “Masks”

She had blue skin.

And so did he.

He kept it hid

And so did she.

They searched for blue

Their whole life through,

Then passed right by—

And never knew.

“Underface”

Underneath my outside face

There’s a face that none can see.

A little less smiley,

A little less sure,

But a whole lot more like me.