Thank You, Maurice Sendak

photo by Rita Bourland - 2012

Thank You, Maurice Sendak

(June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012)

The day Maurice picked up a pen and made mischief

of one kind and another

and another

his readers called him “GENIUS!”

and Maurice said, “I’LL WRITE ANOTHER!”

so he went to his room and began to write

that very night in Maurice’s room an idea grew

and grew

until his mind was full of vines

and his words became the world all around

an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for him

and he sailed off through night and day

writing all the while

to tell his tale

of lands where wild things grow

and children grow

because they know that even with scary things

 all around

things that roar and gnash their teeth

and roll their eyes and show their claws

they have the power

to tame the beasts

to find the joy that lies within

the hearts of beast and man

but Maurice’s pen paused near the end

his tale not yet complete

he closed his eyes and saw a scene

of a family

together again

so he wrote once more

of a boat on the sea

headed for home leaving monsters behind

sailing for a year

and in and out of weeks and through a day

and into the night of his very own room

where he found his papers covered with words

 a life fully lived

his rest well-deserved.

Thank you, Maurice Sendak.