and another…

his mother called him “WILD THING!” 

and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” 
so he was sent to bed without eating anything. 

and grew until his ceiling hung with vines 

and the walls became the world all around 

and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max
and he sailed off through night and day 

and in and out of weeks 

and almost over a year to where the wild things are.

they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth

and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws

till Max said “BE STILL!” and tamed them with the magic trick 

of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once 

and made him king of all wild things.

“And now,” cried Max, “let the wild rumpus start!” 

“Now stop!” Max said and sent the wild things off to bed without their supper. 

And Max the king of all wild things was lonely 

and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all. 

he smelled good things to eat 

so he gave up being king of where the wild things are. 
But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go we’ll eat you up-we love you so!” 

And Max said, “No!” 

and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws 

but Max stepped into his private boat and waved good-bye

and in and out of weeks 

and through a day 

and into the night of his very own room 

where he found his supper waiting for him 

and it was still hot.