Dirty Face

Where did you get such a dirty face,
My darling dirty-faced child?
 
I got it from crawling along in the dirt
And biting two buttons off Jeremy’s shirt.
I got it from chewing the roots of a rose
And digging for clams in the yard with my nose.
I got it from peeking into a dark cave
And painting myself like a Navajo brave.
I got it from playing with coal in the bin
And signing my name in cement with my chin.
I got it from rolling around on the rug
And giving the horrible dog a big hug.
I got it from finding a lost silver mine
And eating sweet blackberries right off the vine.
I got it from ice cream and wrestling and tears
And from having more fun than you’ve had in years.

Copyright Credit: Shel Silverstein, "Dirty Face" from Every Thing on It. Copyright © 2011 by Shel Silverstein.  Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Source: Every Thing On It (HaperCollins Publishers, 2011)