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Sunday, May 14, 2006

happy mother's day

(For your enjoyment: the poem my mom would recite to me when I was a child. I can't tell you how many times I've fallen asleep to this...)
The Sugar-Plum Tree

Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree?
'Tis a marvel of great renown!
It blooms on the shore of the Lollipop sea
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town;
The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet
(As those who have tasted it say)
That good little children have only to eat
Of that fruit to be happy next day.

When you've got to the tree, you would have a hard time
To capture the fruit which I sing;
The tree is so tall that no person could climb
To the boughs where the sugar-plums swing!
But up in that tree sits a chocolate cat,
And a gingerbread dog prowls below-
And this is the way you contrive to get at
Those sugar-plums tempting you so:

You say but the word to that gingerbread dog
And he barks with such terrible zest
That the chocolate cat is at once all agog,
As her swelling proportions attest.
And the chocolate cat goes cavorting around
From this leafy limb unto that,
And the sugar-plums tumble, of course, to the ground-
Hurrah for that chocolate cat!

There are marshmallows, gumdrops, and peppermint canes,
With stripings of scarlet or gold,
And you carry away of the treasure that rains
As much as your apron can hold!
So come, little child, cuddle closer to me
In your dainty white nightcap and gown,
And I'll rock you away to that Sugar-Plum Tree
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town.

13 comments:

LuckyRedHen said...

That's a LOT to memorize! I LOVE it!

And I would love all to visit my page to help me with a name...

http://imsewfunny.blogspot.com/

Shameless plug, I know, but I really need opinions :o)

Sugar plum out.

dalene said...

How 'bout "Sugar-Plum Tree?"

Thinking of you today ~j. Among others. Isn't that funny since we are complete strangers?

Hope it's a good day.

Geo said...

Very sweet, in every sense. Happy Mudder's Day, ~j.

Anonymous said...

Great poem. I could never memorize all of that.
My mom used to sing me to sleep every night with a "special" song with my name in it. I thought it was so cool to have my very own song until one night I walked in my little sister's room, and I heard my mom SINGING THE SAME SONG with the name changed to my sister's. My childhood officially ended that night.
Truthfully though, I have been blessed with the greatest mom in the world. Happy Mother's Day to all you ladies out there. Hope you are honored the way you deserve to be!

La Yen said...

Did that ever make you have creepy dreams?

I sing a song to Jooj every morning that is just for her. I will have to make an entirely new song for each kid. Thanks for the heads up, Sue!

I love your mom, even when your mom recites scary poems. Viva la Grandpa Bunsies.

~j. said...

No - never, never creepy. Wonderful. There's a tree in that yard that I swore was The Sugar Plum Tree (only at night, though). (Although...I've heard rumours...and lots of big trees were recently cut down...shame...) Lots of times that was the ONLY thing that put me to sleep and ensured good dreams.

Anonymous said...

the sugar plum tree is now in pieces in the yard. i can't believe you memorized that. i always tried but never could. hope your mother's day was happy. love you.

~j. said...

Oh, beans. I didn't memorize it. I googled it.

Anonymous said...

oh... you mean mom didn't write it? i feel so cheated.

Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielson said...

my mom read me this too. it means a lot to me as well.

QueenScarlett said...

I love memories like that. And I like the poem.

Carina said...

What sweet memories.

My mom read to us only when forced because there was such a hue and cry from the hoi-polloi--she didn't "do the voices" like papa did.

Also, in a move that I now understand, she would skip words and sentences to the anger of her charges.

Lisa said...

Topher's mom used to read this poem to him as a child and it meant a lot to her, too, so I've passed the tradition down to my kids.