[1055] Bleezer's Ice Cream
Once again, posting on Martin's behalf:
I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,
there are flavors in my freezer
you have never seen before,
twenty-eight divine creations
too delicious to resist,
why not do yourself a favor,
try the flavors on my list:
COCOA MOCHA MACARONI
TAPIOCA SMOKED BALONEY
CHECKERBERRY CHEDDAR CHEW
CHICKEN CHERRY HONEYDEW
TUTTI-FRUTTI STEWED TOMATO
TUNA TACO BAKED POTATO
LOBSTER LITCHI LIMA BEAN
MOZZARELLA MANGOSTEEN
ALMOND HAM MERINGUE SALAMI
YAM ANCHOVY PRUNE PASTRAMI
SASSAFRAS SOUVLAKI HASH
SUKIYAKI SUCCOTASH
BUTTER BRICKLE PEPPER PICKLE
POMEGRANATE PUMPERNICKEL
PEACH PIMENTO PIZZA PLUM
PEANUT PUMPKIN BUBBLEGUM
BROCCOLI BANANA BLUSTER
CHOCOLATE CHOP SUEY CLUSTER
AVOCADO BRUSSELS SPROUT
PERIWINKLE SAUERKRAUT
COTTON CANDY CARROT CUSTARD
CAULIFLOWER COLA MUSTARD
ONION DUMPLING DOUBLE DIP
TURNIP TRUFFLE TRIPLE FLIP
GARLIC GUMBO GRAVY GUAVA
LENTIL LEMON LIVER LAVA
ORANGE OLIVE BAGEL BEET
WATERMELON WAFFLE WHEAT
I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,
taste a flavor from my freezer,
you will surely ask for more.
-- Jack Prelutsky
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"Bleezer's Ice Cream" is one of those rare, perfect children's poems that it
is my occasional pleasure to stumble across. It's not too hard to see why it
works so well. The name "Ebenezer Bleezer" is both nicely comical and nicely
euphonious, so "I am Ebenezer Bleezer" gets the poem off to a good start
right away. The whole first verse, though, is nothing more than a prologue,
an introduction to the real meat of the poem. I refer, of course, to the
wonderfully zany list of twenty-eight "flavours", a catalogue of food
combinations whose appeal lies in their grossness as much as in their
playful metre and rhymes. I'll leave you to look up some of the weirder
foods on your own :)
-martin
Links:
Here's a biography of Prelutsky:
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=69
I am reminded of the Centipede's song from Dahl's 'James and the Giant
Peach':
http://www.qu-i-x.com/eaten.html
And from the credit-where-due department, I discovered the poem in the
following, well-chosen collection:
http://gobinpoetry.homestead.com/Home.html
From: "Eleanor Oguma" <oguma@>
Love the poem, but did you have to post it on the morning when I have the
mother of all hangovers? :-)
**************************************************
Eleanor OGUMA oguma@
Research Division
Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia
6-1178-1 Kami-okawamae-dori
Niigata City 951-8068
JAPAN
Tel: (+81) 25-222-3141 Fax: (+81) 25-222-9505
**************************************************
From: rebecca gill <regill1@>
I'm new to Minstrels. and am enjoying everyone. I was introduced to it
by my co-worker,Tim Juhl who is a published poet and teacher of creative
writing. I like the diversity of styles. This one did surprise me at
first, but I guess it is a valid form of poetry. We often dismiss
children's literature, but I did gain an appreciation of it from my
years as a school library volunteer. One of my (most enjoyable) tasks
was to read and review the new books for the librarian and give her a
feel for the type and quality. Thanks for the opportunity to revisit
this world.
From: monica bathija <irmonica@>
what a delightful delightful poem!!
====life is like a bad movie...and i'm sleeping through it