OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! - By, Dr. Seuss
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “ I don’t choose to got there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
You’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do,
To people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
OH! THE PLACES YOU”LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so but sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You will get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked
A place you could sprain both you’re elbow and chin!
Do you dare stay out? Do you dare to go in?.
How much can you loose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
Or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break necking pace
And grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place….
… for people just waiting.
Waiting for the train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come,
Or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No
Or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fist to bite waiting for wind to fly a kite
Or waiting for Friday night, or waiting perhaps, for their uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
Or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of guy!
Oh the, places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Expect when you don’t. Because, sometimes , they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
You’ll meet things that scare things right out of you’re pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon.
That can scare you so much that you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul.
On you will go thought your enemies prowl.
On you will go through the Hakken-Kraks howl,
Onward up many a frightening creek,
Though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike.
And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up of course, and you’ll already know.
You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And you will succeed?
Yes ! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
KID YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTINS!
So…
Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off to Great Places!
This is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So… get on your way!