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I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.
I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.
I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.
I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings--
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be--
I had a Mother who read to me.
This poem is in the public domain.
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Strickland Gillilan (1869-1954) was an American humorist, lecturer, and poet. Born in Ohio, Strickland started out as a journalist and worked for several different newspapers, including the Washington Post. While on staff at the Richmond Daily Palladium, he wrote a humorous poem about an Irish railroader that ended up in Life Magazine and led to swift national acclaim. Credited with writing the world's shortest poem--"Lines on the Antiquity of Microbes"(subtitled "Fleas"): "Adam/Had 'em."--as well as one of the world's most anthologized poems (this one), Strickland produced a huge body of work during his lifetime. He traveled the country for years, entertaining enthralled audiences with his witty novels, satirical essays, rollicking songs, and heartwarming poetry.
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456:
PATIENCE IS FOR THE VIRTUOUS, NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW, FOR THESE LYRICS WOULD CAUSE EVEN A FLUENT BARD TO CROW. A CALVACADE OF RHYMES WORTH MORE THAN DIAMOND AND GOLD, NOW BEHOLDDD THE COLDD SLANDERR OF MY BOLD VERBAL STRANGLEHOLD!!! YOU SPEAK OF MOTHERS MINE IS OF THE EARTH, your ancestors should have never gave birth! FOR THE COOKING THEY CLAIM BEGAN TO STEW AND CHURN, AND THE RESULT IS YOUR SCATHING PRESENCE RECEIVING A SCATHING BURN! its not over yet. it must get worse. more wounded and corpses than a battleworn hearse. For now i unleash the killing famine and storm. prepare for your death the take its FINAL. FORM. DID YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MY RATS AND MICE? YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE I GET TO TELL YOU TWICE! BUT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE SO PRETTY AND NICE, BECAUSE THIS RODENT CAUSES MORE THAN JUST FLEAS AND LICE!
Posted 07/23/2025 05:01 PM
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456:
PATIENCE IS FOR THE VIRTUOUS, NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW, FOR THESE LYRICS WOULD CAUSE EVEN A FLUENT BARD TO CROW. A CALVACADE OF RHYMES WORTH MORE THAN DIAMOND AND GOLD, NOW BEHOLDDD THE COLDD SLANDERR OF MY BOLD VERBAL STRANGLEHOLD!!! YOU SPEAK OF MOTHERS MINE IS OF THE EARTH, your ancestors should have never gave birth! FOR THE COOKING THEY CLAIM BEGAN TO STEW AND CHURN, AND THE RESULT IS YOUR SCATHING PRESENCE RECEIVING A SCATHING BURN! its not over yet. it must get worse. more wounded and corpses than a battleworn hearse. For now i unleash the killing famine and storm. prepare for your death the take its FINAL. FORM. DID YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MY RATS AND MICE? YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE I GET TO TELL YOU TWICE! BUT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE SO PRETTY AND NICE, BECAUSE THIS RODENT CAUSES MORE THAN JUST FLEAS AND LICE!
Posted 07/23/2025 05:01 PM
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456:
PATIENCE IS FOR THE VIRTUOUS, NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW, FOR THESE LYRICS WOULD CAUSE EVEN A FLUENT BARD TO CROW. A CALVACADE OF RHYMES WORTH MORE THAN DIAMOND AND GOLD, NOW BEHOLDDD THE COLDD SLANDERR OF MY BOLD VERBAL STRANGLEHOLD!!! YOU SPEAK OF MOTHERS MINE IS OF THE EARTH, your ancestors should have never gave birth! FOR THE COOKING THEY CLAIM BEGAN TO STEW AND CHURN, AND THE RESULT IS YOUR SCATHING PRESENCE RECEIVING A SCATHING BURN! its not over yet. it must get worse. more wounded and corpses than a battleworn hearse. For now i unleash the killing famine and storm. prepare for your death the take its FINAL. FORM. DID YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MY RATS AND MICE? YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE I GET TO TELL YOU TWICE! BUT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE SO PRETTY AND NICE, BECAUSE THIS RODENT CAUSES MORE THAN JUST FLEAS AND LICE!
Posted 07/23/2025 05:01 PM
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456:
PATIENCE IS FOR THE VIRTUOUS, NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW, FOR THESE LYRICS WOULD CAUSE EVEN A FLUENT BARD TO CROW. A CALVACADE OF RHYMES WORTH MORE THAN DIAMOND AND GOLD, NOW BEHOLDDD THE COLDD SLANDERR OF MY BOLD VERBAL STRANGLEHOLD!!! YOU SPEAK OF MOTHERS MINE IS OF THE EARTH, your ancestors should have never gave birth! FOR THE COOKING THEY CLAIM BEGAN TO STEW AND CHURN, AND THE RESULT IS YOUR SCATHING PRESENCE RECEIVING A SCATHING BURN! its not over yet. it must get worse. more wounded and corpses than a battleworn hearse. For now i unleash the killing famine and storm. prepare for your death the take its FINAL. FORM. DID YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MY RATS AND MICE? YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE I GET TO TELL YOU TWICE! BUT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE SO PRETTY AND NICE, BECAUSE THIS RODENT CAUSES MORE THAN JUST FLEAS AND LICE!
Posted 07/23/2025 05:01 PM
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456:
PATIENCE IS FOR THE VIRTUOUS, NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW, FOR THESE LYRICS WOULD CAUSE EVEN A FLUENT BARD TO CROW. A CALVACADE OF RHYMES WORTH MORE THAN DIAMOND AND GOLD, NOW BEHOLDDD THE COLDD SLANDERR OF MY BOLD VERBAL STRANGLEHOLD!!! YOU SPEAK OF MOTHERS MINE IS OF THE EARTH, your ancestors should have never gave birth! FOR THE COOKING THEY CLAIM BEGAN TO STEW AND CHURN, AND THE RESULT IS YOUR SCATHING PRESENCE RECEIVING A SCATHING BURN! its not over yet. it must get worse. more wounded and corpses than a battleworn hearse. For now i unleash the killing famine and storm. prepare for your death the take its FINAL. FORM. DID YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MY RATS AND MICE? YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE I GET TO TELL YOU TWICE! BUT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE SO PRETTY AND NICE, BECAUSE THIS RODENT CAUSES MORE THAN JUST FLEAS AND LICE!
Posted 07/23/2025 05:01 PM
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456:
PATIENCE IS FOR THE VIRTUOUS, NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW, FOR THESE LYRICS WOULD CAUSE EVEN A FLUENT BARD TO CROW. A CALVACADE OF RHYMES WORTH MORE THAN DIAMOND AND GOLD, NOW BEHOLDDD THE COLDD SLANDERR OF MY BOLD VERBAL STRANGLEHOLD!!! YOU SPEAK OF MOTHERS MINE IS OF THE EARTH, your ancestors should have never gave birth! FOR THE COOKING THEY CLAIM BEGAN TO STEW AND CHURN, AND THE RESULT IS YOUR SCATHING PRESENCE RECEIVING A SCATHING BURN! its not over yet. it must get worse. more wounded and corpses than a battleworn hearse. For now i unleash the killing famine and storm. prepare for your death the take its FINAL. FORM. DID YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MY RATS AND MICE? YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE I GET TO TELL YOU TWICE! BUT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE SO PRETTY AND NICE, BECAUSE THIS RODENT CAUSES MORE THAN JUST FLEAS AND LICE!
Posted 07/23/2025 05:01 PM
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456:
PATIENCE IS FOR THE VIRTUOUS, NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW, FOR THESE LYRICS WOULD CAUSE EVEN A FLUENT BARD TO CROW. A CALVACADE OF RHYMES WORTH MORE THAN DIAMOND AND GOLD, NOW BEHOLDDD THE COLDD SLANDERR OF MY BOLD VERBAL STRANGLEHOLD!!! YOU SPEAK OF MOTHERS MINE IS OF THE EARTH, your ancestors should have never gave birth! FOR THE COOKING THEY CLAIM BEGAN TO STEW AND CHURN, AND THE RESULT IS YOUR SCATHING PRESENCE RECEIVING A SCATHING BURN! its not over yet. it must get worse. more wounded and corpses than a battleworn hearse. For now i unleash the killing famine and storm. prepare for your death the take its FINAL. FORM. DID YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MY RATS AND MICE? YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE I GET TO TELL YOU TWICE! BUT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE SO PRETTY AND NICE, BECAUSE THIS RODENT CAUSES MORE THAN JUST FLEAS AND LICE!
Posted 07/23/2025 05:01 PM
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456:
PATIENCE IS FOR THE VIRTUOUS, NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW, FOR THESE LYRICS WOULD CAUSE EVEN A FLUENT BARD TO CROW. A CALVACADE OF RHYMES WORTH MORE THAN DIAMOND AND GOLD, NOW BEHOLDDD THE COLDD SLANDERR OF MY BOLD VERBAL STRANGLEHOLD!!! YOU SPEAK OF MOTHERS MINE IS OF THE EARTH, your ancestors should have never gave birth! FOR THE COOKING THEY CLAIM BEGAN TO STEW AND CHURN, AND THE RESULT IS YOUR SCATHING PRESENCE RECEIVING A SCATHING BURN! its not over yet. it must get worse. more wounded and corpses than a battleworn hearse. For now i unleash the killing famine and storm. prepare for your death the take its FINAL. FORM. DID YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MY RATS AND MICE? YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE I GET TO TELL YOU TWICE! BUT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE SO PRETTY AND NICE, BECAUSE THIS RODENT CAUSES MORE THAN JUST FLEAS AND LICE!
Posted 07/23/2025 05:01 PM
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EstherJ:
This is so sweet!
Posted 04/30/2025 11:23 AM
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Darrell Arnold:
Outstanding poem. I will be looking up more of Gillilan's work.
Posted 04/30/2025 09:46 AM
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jmprice9:
I read this at my mother's funeral. She was an elementary school teacher who read to and hugged not only me, but everyone's kids. She's with me every day.
Posted 08/15/2024 10:23 AM
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diane winiecki:
Finally I know from whence this bit of poetry I have loved most of my long life. Because it was true!
D. Winiecki
Posted 08/05/2024 11:58 AM
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rollivier:
Thank you, Ginger, for being that mother that read to me, and by extension laid the whole world at my feet. My Ph.D. would never be, had I not had a mother who read to me.
Posted 09/01/2021 04:38 AM
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Jules4Nicky:
I don't think I've ever read a poem I like so much!
Posted 04/30/2015 07:39 PM
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transitions:
He was very lucky...lovely poem.
Posted 04/30/2015 12:11 PM
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dotief@comcast.net:
Beautiful! I had such a mother as well!
Posted 04/30/2015 10:14 AM
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