Sunday, March 21, 2010

54. Winslow Smudge


In addition to being World Down Syndrome Day, today is also World Poetry Day. And so it is a most fitting day to reveal my alter ego, Winslow Smudge. Regular readers of Down With Oz know that I have written a few poems, but those few poems aren't the whole story. All my life I have had odd little thoughts bouncing around in my head. I haven't ever recognized them for what they are. But since Ozzie's birth, I have come to realize that they are little bits of poetry. Recently I decided to stop ignoring these thoughts, and instead to start breathing life into as many as I can. And so I secretly created another blog: The Conservatory for Flittering Thoughts. I write there under my pen name, posting poems as they come to me. Happy poems, silly poems, sad poems. Poems about life, poems about loss. Some of my poems are about Down syndrome. I don't post them on this blog, because I don't feel that they belong here.

I plan on illustrating some of these poems, eventually. My ultimate goal is to get an agent and publish a book. So if any of you are literary agents, send me an email.

If you have children, I recommend clicking on the "Poems for children" section in the right-hand column. My own kids love them. I hope yours do, too. I'll sign off with one of my poems. Enjoy:

Brother Nature

I'm Mother Nature's brother
I'm a dirty rotten guy
Not as well known as my sister
Though I give it my best try

I'm mischievous and devious
My list of exploits long
I tinker with my sister's work
Until I get it wrong

Ever marveled at the platypus's
Bill, webbed feet and fur?
I mixed a duck and beaver
With a shake and then a stir

I put the hump upon the camel
Pressed the nose of the poor pug
Put the prickles on the porcupine
So he could never hug

I locked away the lowly turtle
Deep inside his boxy shell
Honked the horn of the rhinoceros
Though I don't think he could tell

Yes I'm a dirty rotten scoundrel
I admit this fact of course
Scrubbed the stripes right off a zebra
That's how I made the horse

I broke the mole's eyeglasses
Told the goose that it could sing
Plucked the feathers from the fruit bat
Gave the honeybee its sting

Stretched the neck of the giraffe
And then I stole the monkeys' pants
Stripped the peahen of her plumage
Hid the uncles from the ants

I like trickery and mischief
And I'm quite the gifted thief
You'll find traces of my handiwork
Wherever there is grief

I laundered the flamingos
With a bright red kneehigh sock
And I crammed those extra teeth
Into the mouth of the poor croc

Yes I'm a schemer and a rascal
But I don't get a fair shake
For if I hadn't swiped that lizard's legs
We wouldn't have the snake

So next time you stare in wonder
As a flying squirrel takes flight
You should thank old Brother Nature
For providing such a sight

11 comments:

Shem the Wrench said...

delightful!!

Cheri said...

oh. my. gosh. ....I laughed out loud!:-) You are fabulously talented!

Lisa said...

I love your alter ego :)

ds.mama said...

You are so much fun. I can't wait to read through them all with a hot cup of tea by my side.

Lisa said...

I love your poems.

But you already know that ;)

Fondly.
One of Your Biggest Fans

Monica Crumley said...

Love it! So clever and fun... and sometimes a mouthful. Thanks for sharing.

chuvaash said...

That is fantastic. I think poetry might just save the world, so I'll be sharing more of yours with mine. Thank you so much for making my day brighter!

Unknown said...

Bravo. Have you met Kelle Hampton Mommy blogger with recently born (Jan. 22, 10) DS?

Crittle said...

I meant to tell you this weeks ago, but I love, love, love this poem.

ashleypmo said...

Brill! I'll have to share this with my homeschool bunch---and of course, my kiddos. Absolutely love it!

Unknown said...

Wow, this rocks so much i can't stand it. Book please.