i hear you in your room
Wild Thing,
howling at the moon
swinging from your blanket vines.
it’s you who’s gnashing and gnarling,
growling and moaning.

give up your crown
Wild Thing,
set the yellow paper on the ground
sail across the sea in
your cardboard-box boat
and float back to where you belong.

i’ve waited for years
and weeks and days
Wild Thing,
for you to hear me,
watching the steam and love waft off
your dinner every night.

listen to my roar,
Wild Thing:
don’t let the wild rumpus
reach too far into who you are.