James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree

Since I posted a poem yesterday and then Jodi was kind enough to share her poetry (in French no less! She is faaaancy!), I thought I would continue a bit on the subject.

Here’s the thing. I find a lot of people seem to be afraid of poetry. And it can be tough going sometimes but I do think that it’s worth the work. It’s great exercise for your brain too. Poetry makes us think differently. MOST (and of course there are exceptions but really, let’s not get picky here) poetry is nothing like our common language. Even when it’s not “old” you still have to contend with things like rhyming and meter and whatever. But in the end, all it really boils down to is..do you like it?

This is another of my favorite poems. And if you have kids and you aren’t reading them A.A. Milne…well…just do it. It’s good stuff. And you might be surprised at how funny it is, even to adults.

Anyway here is one of the few poems that I can actually recite part of (the other two being the first few lines of The Village Blacksmith and How Doth the Little Crocodile):


Disobedience
By Alan Alexander Milne

James James
Morrison Morrison
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great
Care of his Mother,
Though he was only three.
James James Said to his Mother,
"Mother," he said, said he;
"You must never go down
to the end of the town,
if you don't go down with me."

James James
Morrison's Mother
Put on a golden gown.
James James Morrison's Mother
Drove to the end of the town.
James James Morrison's Mother
Said to herself, said she:
"I can get right down
to the end of the town
and be back in time for tea."

King John
Put up a notice,
"LOST or STOLEN or STRAYED!
JAMES JAMES MORRISON'S MOTHER
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISLAID.
LAST SEEN
WANDERING VAGUELY:
QUITE OF HER OWN ACCORD,
SHE TRIED TO GET DOWN
TO THE END OF THE TOWN -
FORTY SHILLINGS REWARD!"

James James
Morrison Morrison
(Commonly known as Jim)
Told his
Other relations
Not to go blaming him.
James James
Said to his Mother,
"Mother," he said, said he:
"You must never go down to the end of the town
without consulting me."

James James
Morrison's mother
Hasn't been heard of since.
King John said he was sorry,
So did the Queen and Prince.
King John
(Somebody told me)
Said to a man he knew:
If people go down to the end of the town, well,
what can anyone do?"

(Now then, very softly)
J.J.
M.M.
W.G.Du P.
Took great
C/0 his M*****
Though he was only 3.
J.J. said to his M*****
"M*****," he said, said he:
"You-must-never-go-down-to-the-end-of-the-town-
if-you-don't-go-down-with-ME!"

Personally, I am particularly fond of the last stanza. But the whole poem is great. I like the fact that James James Morrison Morrison is so well spoken for a three year old. And he’s not afraid either. Not afraid to make his demands clear and not afraid of whatever it is as the end of town, even though it is clear that his mother should have been.

And really, 40 shillings seems quite a lot for such a foolish mother! Golden gown indeed!