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William's Personal Poems and Thoughts...
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 THANKS MEAN DOG   by William Avery

It was a hot, hot summer's day. I was just about 3
I was playing outside with my aunts who were not much older than me
A dog came from out of nowhere and grabbed me by the arm
He was dragging me to the fields with sure intent to do me harm
My aunts tried to shew him away, but he barked at them quite fiercely
I cried because I was terrified, but no one else could hear me
One aunt ran to the house looking for an adult
The dog grabbed me again and continued his assault
I'm not quite sure what happened next. My memory gets fuzzy
I recall my mother holding me, crying and saying she loved me

Ten years later I was walking to school on a cold, cold winter's day
It started snowing. The wind was blowing. School seemed so far away
No hat. No gloves. My hands were freezing. My face and ears were numb
My toes had started tingling. I did not know if I could over come
In despair I said a prayer for God to help me make it
A green car stopped. I was offered a ride. I was just about to take it
The man wanted help to find his dog as he would take me to school
I remembered back to when I was 3. I passed and said I was cool.
Somehow I walked another mile. I made it late to school.
That night I heard about missing children reported in the news.

Someone mentioned an old green car. I thought that could have been me
I told my mom what happened as she listened nervously
Somehow my fear of dogs may have saved my life that day
So I thank that mean old dog from that hot, hot summer's day
My mom asked how I missed the bus. She shook her head in worry.
I missed the bus on purpose, but that's another story
Somehow my fear of dogs may have saved my life that day
So I thank that mean old dog from that hot, hot summer's day
Somehow my fear of dogs may have saved my life that day
So I thank that mean old dog from that hot, hot summer's day

The poem "Thanks Mean Dog" is a true story from my life. It is important for children to know not to go off with strangers. Have conversations about safety, recognizing danger and what to do in different situations.

"COOL SONGS COLLECTION   &   TIMES TABLE FUN"
Brandishing depth and variety in both musical styles and lyrical content on the Food Pyramid of Education, Yummy English Snack hits the spot in
Making Learning Delicious one song at a time...

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
How did you get started writing children's music?
While teaching English in Taiwan, a friend asked me to write original poems or chants for class. Later on I was then asked to set them to music. I got such a wonderful response, it just went on from there.

How do you decide which songs to put on the CDs?
When developing the songs, I'd play them in class. If the students turned into Smart Cookies then that would define the song as a perfect ingredient for "Yummy English Snack"

When learning becomes delicious, you just want more!
...Funny songs such as "Don't Cry Onion Baby" will have you laughing while "Don't Follow the Crowd" will help your children develop their sense of self...gets the healthy-children.org seal of approval for fun, educational, multi-cultural music that every child should have the opportunity to experience!
...get your kids singing their multiplication tables even before they actually know what multiplication is, then this is the CD for you.
...have fun with it. I think the music is quite original, and Nathaniel thinks it is funky
...not only cute, but they are also chock full of information - like, the zodiac, lessons on why you shouldn't follow the crowd, and simple addition!
...I put the Cool Songs Collection in the cd player during breakfast and we listened to it over pancakes.