Where The Sidewalk Ends.

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein


There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.


This poem by Shel Silverstein is one of my favorites for so many reasons. I discovered Silverstein when I was only 6 years old and immediately loved his writing. It was funny in the lightest of ways, but had a universal theme that people from ages 5 to 105 could relate to. This poem specifically has always hit me because as a kid, I didn't really understand the symbolism behind its importance. Now that I've "grown up", I see now that it revolves around keeping the kid alive in you. 


Many people think that to grow up essentially is to be mature and serious about most matters. They overstress about work, money, ego and other things that are irrelevant to a child. This poem takes those who lose themselves back to the mindset of a kid. The symbols of smoke and peppermint wind demonstrate the cold, dark world that's out there while the chalk white arrows are the path to finding your inner childhood. This and many other poems by Silverstein always bring me back to being little again and dreaming of the good old days. "Where the Sidewalk Ends," is just another reminder that even though you may get older in time, never lose the free spirit of being a child in your heart.