Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, UNWISE PRAISE, by WALT MASON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

UNWISE PRAISE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: You praise your kid before his face, explain
Last Line: "thong, and swat that kid until he's sore!"
Subject(s): Praise


YOU praise your kid before his face, explain to callers he's a peach, the pride

and glory of the race, the only pebble on the beach. And soon that kid an aleck

grows, a smarty all swelled up with pride; and people long to twist his nose,
and lam the sawdust from his hide. The greatest bore that ever was is that
obtrusive, forward kid, whose parents gave him wild applause for everything he
ever did. When grave and thoughtful people call, to talk of weather and the
crops, young Willie grieves and shocks them all, by his persistent, foolish
yawps. The grave and thoughtful people look to see the father take a strap, or
strip of board, or shepherd's crook, and pound that most annoying chap. But
Father smiles, as does his spouse; he says, "Our Willie is so gay! He is a
sunbeam in the house, he surely drives one's cares away!" The callers do not
tarry long, they hasten from young Willie's door, and sigh, "How sweet to take a

thong, and swat that kid until he's sore!"





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