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I know now it’s true
That sharp-toothed snail in your nose
Shel told us about
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Like many a library-dwelling Gen-X/Millenials I spent a lot of time reading Shel Silverstein’s poetry/drawing collections. The surreal Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, and A Light in the Attic all helped shaped my young mind in a similar way to Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and its sequels. They were weird, fun, and sometimes gross. They were stories AND art together, but not for little kids. It was gateway poetry and gateway horror. Shel’s poem A Warning feels like both. Just a few lines, but the idea of that sharp-toothed snail as a deterrent to picking… YIKES!!
Shel really knew how to hit a nerve and land a joke. His surrealist humor is something that has stuck with me in the same way I was influenced by Weird Al. I owe a lot of my later reading, viewing, and writing and drawing habits to Shel, Alvin, Stephen, and Al.
Until next time, stay safe out there, and look out for snails…
…and rattlesnakes…Check out RATTLESNAKE RODEO! Part 4 arrives on Wednesday!
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