It happened one day, historians know,
Back in the Thirties, some time quite ago.
A fellow called Seuss (not a doctor by trade)
Wrote all about a fantastic parade.
A book aimed at children, those learning to read
And it was a successful venture indeed!
It sold many copies, drew plenty of praise;
Such imaginative books weren’t made in those days.
For Seuss (known to some as Theo Geisel),
The book launched a career most perfectly swell.
He wrote more kids’ books, year after year,
And each new release was met with good cheer.
For many years, Seuss was renowned and respected,
His books were beloved, purchased and collected.
The Cat and the Fox and the Hop on the Pop
The praise, it seemed, had no cause to stop.
But in this modern day of Twenty-Two-One,
There’s always a reason to suck out the fun.
And some Internet folks, all far from ecstatic,
Have labeled some of his books problematic.
So it was that this year, on Seuss’ birthday,
Six of his books were stricken away.
With online voices growing louder and stronger
The estate announced they would be published no longer.
The accusations (in some respects) do ring true.
There are racist depictions in If I Ran the Zoo.
And the Chinese boy in Mulberry Street –
Modern standards, that won’t certainly meet.
(Other such labels seem made by a fool
Like the one that was slapped on McElligott’s Pool.
The book briefly features an “Eskimo fish.”
Outdated? Perhaps. Offensive? They wish.)
But even for books that were criticized rightly,
To cease publication is rather unsightly.
Though some illustrations might be signs of their day,
We should retain history, not wipe it away.
And Mulberry Street, in spite of its flaws
Is a book worth preserving, for starting a cause.
This was the book that gave Seuss his start;
We should not be banning a key work of art.
There are those who would scoff at this accusation.
“Banning?” they’d say. “Pure exaggeration!
They simply won’t be printing copies anew;
Finding old ones will be easy to do.”
But despite what the online folks have insisted,
Over on eBay, the books are delisted.
Amazon still has them up on the site
But don’t be surprised if they bid them “Good night.”
For the remaining copies, the prices will rocket
Owning contraband books is cash in the pocket.
Libraries will soon pull them all from the shelves,
Fearing patrons will steal them and keep for themselves.
Easy to find? No, quite the reverse.
They’ll be rare at best, non-existent at worst.
Sold online at prices perverse
By the lucky stiffs who managed to grab them up first.
Most of Seuss’ books remain in circulation
(Until Cat in the Hat sparks more retaliation).
So to call the man “cancelled” would seem like a sham;
As we still have The Grinch, and Green Eggs and Ham.
Yet despite all the good books, we should ask the query:
Is this sort of censorship not somewhat eerie?
And in some cases, is just one illustration or two
Enough for a whole book to banned from view?
The times are volatile, and tempers are high;
It seems every day brings an all-new outcry.
It’s tempting to ignore, or even to mock
Those who react to these bannings with shock.
But, sure as the stars all shine brightly above,
Someday they’ll censor a book that you love.
If they get their way, they don’t admit defeat
And there’s plenty to lose beyond Mulberry Street.
Critically Touched 