Clean Up Your Room
"Clean up your room" my mother said,
"Straighten the closet and under the bed.
Pick up your clothes and dirty socks.
Put away the clay and building blocks.
Put every shoe with its' proper mate,
And line them all up by your roller-skates.
Put the arms and legs back on the doll,
And straighten the poster that's on the wall.
The paper, the crayons, the pencils, the books,
And your sweater and jacket go back on the hooks."
"I get the message!" at last I cried.
And I got to work as my mother sighed.
I picked up and cleaned up and straightened and stacked
Until I had put every single thing back.
As clean as a whistle, as quick as a whiz,
but now I don't know where anything is.
I’ve always been a big fan of Shel Silverstein and I still watch a lot of kid shows even though mine are all grown up, and I think your work holds up well against many national acts, to be sure. There’s a playful spirit and a love of wordplay that I enjoy. I like your poems and songs better than the Wiggles or Mister Stinky Feet or some of the others that have crossed my desk.
I also listen to a lot of books on tape in the car, and will testify that the quality of your recording also holds up against the major publishers. You should do a live album.
Richard O. Jones
Writer, Arts Journalist and Critic.
Cox Ohio Publishing.