Sunday Poetry: Us Two, by A. A. Milne

Us Two

Wherever I am, there's always Pooh,
There's always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
"Where are you going today?" says Pooh:
"Well, that's very odd 'cos I was too.
Let's go together," says Pooh, says he.
"Let's go together," says Pooh.

"What's twice eleven?" I said to Pooh.
("Twice what?" said Pooh to Me.)
"I think it ought to be twenty-two."
"Just what I think myself," said Pooh.
"It wasn't an easy sum to do,
But that's what it is," said Pooh, said he.
"That's what it is," said Pooh.

"Let's look for dragons," I said to Pooh.
"Yes, let's," said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few-
"Yes, those are dragons all right," said Pooh.
"As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That's what they are," said Pooh, said he.
"That's what they are," said Pooh.

"Let's frighten the dragons," I said to Pooh.
"That's right," said Pooh to Me.
"I'm not afraid," I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw and I shouted "Shoo!
Silly old dragons!"- and off they flew.
"I wasn't afraid," said Pooh, said he,
"I'm never afraid with you."

So wherever I am, there's always Pooh,
There's always Pooh and Me.
"What would I do?" I said to Pooh,
"If it wasn't for you," and Pooh said: "True,
It isn't much fun for One, but Two,
Can stick together, says Pooh, says he.
"That's how it is," says Pooh.

- by A. A. Milne
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Did anybody read this to you when you were a child? Have you ever read it to a child? Have you sat with the marvelous book, "Now We Are Six" and used the silliness and the rhythms to amuse and enthrall a child?

There's plenty to write about this poem, plenty of allusions, rhymes, meter, etc. to engage the dissective abilities of any tweedy English prof, but that professor's best efforts pale in significance compared to a parent, grandparent, older sibling, aunt, uncle, neighbor or someone with a child on their lap, tracing the words with their finger and reading gentle poetry.

This poem is occasionally read at weddings, and even funerals. That's kind of breathtaking. But it is at its finest being read to a child. If you don't have a copy from your childhood, invest six dollars in the future and get one. Enrich the life of a child by taking the time to read poetry to him or her.