Whatif by Shel Silverstein
Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I’m dumb in school?
Whatif they’ve closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there’s poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don’t grow taller?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won’t bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don’t grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems well, and then
the nighttime Whatifs strike again!
Have you ever been plagued by the what if thoughts. Yesterday I had a great bike ride. Today I started wondering what if I can’t make it up the hill by my house? I started to realize how quickly the what if’s strike and how they affect my confidence. I am working on planning a party and the what if is what if no one rsvp’s with a yes. In my logical thinking, I know that won’t occur, but somehow the what if’s have a way of sneaking into my thinking.
I was talking about this with Peter (age eight) today and he quickly affirmed that he fully understands. He said for his poem party his what if was what if he didn’t remember all his words….oh yes, the haunting what if...i am thinking it plagues us one and all, young and old….do you know where your what if thoughts creep in?
I plan to replace those what if thoughts with a statement of confidence and remove any power the what if has to paralyze me from moving confidently towards my goals and dreams!
Such a good reminder, Trish!