The Gloomy-Boomy Tummy of Tootville Town
(a very Dr. Seuss–ish springtime recovery tale)
In the town of Tootville, on Blustery Lane,
Lived a girl with a tummy behaving quite strange.
One minute it rumbled, one minute it squeaked,
One minute it whispered, “You’re safe for a week!”
But just like the weather in wibbly-womp spring,
It changed every hour, it’s such a rude thing!
The sky would be sunny, the birds would all sing,
Then BOOM! came a blizzard… from deep in the “thing”.
“My tummy,” she groaned, “is a trickster, a cheat!
It lies like a forecast that says warm and sweet!
It says, ‘You’re improving! You’re healthy! You’re fine!’
Then suddenly WHOOSH! It’s bathroom-o’clock time!”
Outside it was gloomy, all drippy and gray,
The clouds did their grumbling the same tummy way.
The wind did a whistle, the sleet did a splat,
Her belly said, “Hold on…I’m preparing something fat”
She waited and waited for springtime to bloom,
But inside her belly was thunder and gloom.
The daffodils peeped out and said, “Hello there!”
Her stomach replied with a suspicious BLAAARE.
“Oh tummy,” she whispered, “please make up your mind.
Are we in warm springtime or blizzard-wind kind?”
The belly just wiggled, the belly just hummed,
Like clouds that were thinking of when rain should come.
Then suddenly—uh-oh—she might need the potty!
A rumble so mighty it woke up her body!
The clouds held their breath, the wind gave a pause…
The squirrels all stopped with their acorny jaws.
Then TOOT! went a trumpet!
Then POOT! went a pop!
Then BRRRRRP! went a tuba that just wouldn’t stop!
The belly winds whistled!
The tummy winds flew!
Like springtime releasing the warm breezes through!
The clouds split apart!
The sunshine peeked out!
The flowers said, “Hey, that’s what spring’s all about!”
The daffodils giggled, the tulips all swayed,
The gloomy gray weather just melted away.
The air smelled like blossoms and sunshine and grass,
(No longer like tragic and treacherous gas!)
Her belly lay quiet. Her tummy felt light.
The winds had all blown in one glorious flight.
And she laughed to the birds and the buds in the sun:
“Well THAT was a storm, but I’m glad that it’s done!”
So if springtime gets tricky with weather or food,
And your belly gets grumbly and terribly rude….
Just remember…
That storms come in bodies and storms come in skies,
They rumble and grumble and take by surprise.
But wait out the thunder, the gloom, and the rain,
The sunshine and calm always come back again.
And just like the weather that God guides above,
He carries us through with patience and love.
Through tummy-storm winds and the gray, gloomy weather,
A rainbow will arrive with a love we can’t measure.
-Cher
