Dirty Dan

Not only am I writing a blog, but I am following a few, too.  A former neighbor started one when she learned she was expecting.  I got to see her nursery come together, and then of course, there were baby pictures.  It has been fun to follow along.  Naturally, seeing her little one takes me back to when my son was small.  Those years were the absolute best!  I remember the nightly baths and some of the conversations we would have.  I think he actually enjoyed bath time, but just to be sure, we made up "Dirty Dan" stories.  Years later I finally put pen to paper.  I hope you like this one.

          Dirty Dan

Long about seven every night
    Dan and his mother got into a fight
"The water is running.  It's time for your bath."
    But Dan never budged, he just started to laugh.
"Not on your life! I won't get in that tub
    With all of those bubbles, and allow you to scrub
My knees and my elbows, and especially not ears,
    And I won't use the shampoo, even if it's No Tears.
I like being dirty. You really can't smell me,
    Besides, if you could, I'm sure someone would tell me."
Though his mom disagreed, and she wanted him clean
    She was awfully kind-hearted and just couldn't be mean.
So inhaling quickly, she tucked him in bed
    Avoided a kiss and just patted his head.
Next morning Dan dressed in clothes he'd worn before;
    And grabbing his homework he dashed out the door.
He waited at the bus stop, and when the doors flew open,
    He spied a girl he liked a lot, and inside he was hopin'
That by chance she might invite him to join her on the ride,
    But when he got beside her, she just pinched her nose and cried,
"Someone open up a window; I have got to have some air."
    So Dan didn't sit beside her, and he pretended not to care.
The bus unloaded quickly, and Dan headed down the hall;
    He saw a gang of guys he knew and was just about to call
But Reggie saw Dan coming, and he told the others, so . . .
    They suddenly disbanded, having somewhere else to go.
Dan was almost to the classroom where his teacher always stood;
    She greeted everybody, and she made them feel real good.
She hugged Elizabeth Pennington who'd been absent twice that week,
    And she smiled and hugged Greg Friedman, and gave Liza's cheek a tweek.
She complimented Ralphie's shirt and said he smelled so clean.
    She noticed Sally's sweater and how she looked so good in green.
When Dan approached the teacher, she leaned back against the wall,
    Held a tissue to her nose and said, "Good morning." That was all.
They got in pairs to practice math, and when the pairs weren't even,
    The teacher glanced about the room and said, "Dan, join Rob and Stephen."
She announced that after recess they all had a job to do;
    They would rearrange the seating. Boy, that raised a hullabaloo.
All the girls grabbed hands and giggled, and they swore that they would mind
    If they could sit together; Then, Dan looked around to find
A guy to be his partner. Jimmy Toth would sure be swell.
    But he found that he was taken,  and all the other guys as well.
The teacher pushed the desks around. What noise it all created!
    She breathed a sigh when she looked around and found them all situated.
Then she looked in Dan's direction, and she saw him standing there;
    She wondered where to put him, but she couldn't think of where.
Dan tried to act real nonchalant; There wasn't much to say,
    But suddenly he realized how the others stayed away.
A seat was finally found for him in the corner with the plants;
    He hung his head and noticed there were stains upon his pants.
On the ride home he was thoughtful about the day that he had had;
    Perhaps there'd be some changes; Maybe baths were not so bad.
His mom met him at the door and asked, "How was your day? Did you get in trouble?"
    "It was OK, Mom, and by the way . . . Do we have any Mr. Bubble?"