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- 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 go 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 then 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 y our 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 can 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 your elbow and chin!
- Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
- How much can you lose? 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 cross weirdish wild space,
- headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
- The Waiting Place...
- ...for people just waiting.
- Waiting for a 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 the waiting around for a Yes or No
- or waiting for their hair to grow.
- Everyone is just waiting.
- Waiting for the fish to bite
- or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
- or waiting around 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 a 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 as famous as famous can be,
- with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
- Except when they 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 you right out of your pants.
- There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
- that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
- But on you will go
- though the weather be foul.
- On you will go
- though your enemies prowl.
- On you will go
- though 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,
- as you 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 foget to be dexterous and deft.
- And never mix up your right foot with your left.
- And will you succeed?
- Yes! You will, indeed!
- (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
- KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
- So...
- be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
- or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
- You're off the Great Places!
- Today is your day!
- Your mountain is waiting.
- So...get on your way!
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