Guess What I Had for Lunch Today?

In January
it’s so nice
while slipping
on the sliding ice
to sip hot chicken soup
with rice.
Sipping once
sipping twice
sipping chicken soup
with rice.

In February
it will be
my snowman’s
anniversary
with cake for him
and soup for me!
Happy once
happy twice
happy chicken soup
with rice.

In March the wind
blows down the door
and spills my soup
upon the floor.
It laps it up
and roars for more.
Blowing once
blowing twice
blowing chicken soup
with rice.

In April
I will go away
to far off Spain
or old Bombay
and dream about
hot soup all day.
Oh my oh once
oh my oh twice
oh my oh
chicken soup
with rice.

In May
I truly think it best
to be a robin
lightly dressed
concocting soup
inside my nest.
Mix it once
mix it twice
mix that chicken soup
with rice.

In June
I saw a charming group
of roses all begin
to droop.
I pepped them up
with chicken soup!
Sprinkle once
sprinkle twice
sprinkle chicken soup
with rice.

In July
I’ll take a peep
into the cool
and fishy deep
where chicken soup
is selling cheap.
Selling once
selling twice
selling chicken soup
with rice. 

In August
it will be so hot
I will become
a cooking pot
cooking soup of course. 
Why not?
Cooking once
cooking twice
cooking chicken soup
with rice.

In September
for a while
I will ride
a crocodile
down the
chicken soupy Nile.
Paddle once
paddle twice
paddle chicken soup
with rice

In October
I’ll be host
to witches, goblins
and a ghost.
I’ll serve them
chicken soup
on toast.
Whoopy once
whoopy twice
whoopy chicken soup
with rice.

In November’s
gusty gale
I will flop
my flippy tail
and spout hot soup. 
I’ll be a whale!
Spouting once
spouting twice
spouting chicken soup
with rice.

In December
I will be
a baubled, bangled
Christmas tree
with soup bowls
draped all over me.
Merry once
merry twice
merry chicken soup
with rice.

I told you once
I told you twice
all seasons
of the year
are nice
for eating
chicken soup
with rice!

(The Nutshell Library, a little box that contains four tiny Maurice Sendak books, absolutely enchanted Stephanie when she was young. Eventually she lost interest, but the books stayed in her room and were never heard from again. I had completely forgotten they existed, so Pete totally missed out on the experience. Now they've resurfaced, and Julie is having a turn with falling in love with them, particularly "Pierre"—she can't get enough of my scowly, grouchy refrain, "I don't care!" But nothing, nothing, beats "Chicken Soup with Rice.")

Comments

[Girl of Nowhere]

How great to meet another voracious reader! I'm going to blogmark you so I can come back and visit and hopefully read more ablut the great books you are reading.

Right now i am reading Dave Eggers, "A Breathtaking Work of Staggering Genius" Have you read it? It is so raw and so good.

[kat]

when i was little, that was my favorite poem. i'd recite it over and over again. thanks for bringing back great memories!

[Karen]

It has a great rhythm -- I never tire of reading it aloud to Julie. My favorite part is when you get to May and it says, "Mix it once, mix it twice, mix that chicken soup with rice!" Somehow the "that" really jazzes me up.

[Kathy]

you have to get the Carol King CD - Really Rosie or check i-tunes for her version of Chicken Soup with Rice - if you haven't heard it before you will love it!

here is the link on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000J2PJ/qid=1129136518/sr=8-13/ref=pd_bbs_13/102-9856706-6157731?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

[Karen]

I remember it from way back, but I'm sure Julie's never heard it yet! Thanks for reminding me.

[Library Lady]

I have used the Nutshell books (larger versions of course) at children's programs for years. I have a huge oversize one for Chicken Soup, and I never read it, I always sing it. The kids and their parents love it and the books go off the library shelves constantly.

Both of my girls LOOVED the books and "Really Rosie". We kept the tape in the car and used to listen to it CONSTANTLY on road trips.My older one used to act out "Pierre" with me and her little sister, even at age 6 still likes to sing "Chicken Soup With Rice".

Thanks for visiting my blog, BTW!

[Liz Krengel]

ditto on the Carol King version. I can still hear her singing Pierre. And on another note--the cookies: I doubled the batch but instead of 3 cups of flour, did 2 1/4 cups and 1 cup of oatmeal. They were great, a little chewier and less doughy which my was only original semi-complaint. L.

[Mr Potato]

If you really look at it, this "poem" is a selection of vile and disgusting sentiments barely disguised by frivolity.

[Comrade batata]

The last two verses of this distasteful diatribe are clearly in the wrong order. Is this some sort of twisted humour?