Belly Slide Day

I recently received a poem from an acquaintance of mine from my time in Wisconsin. The poem involved a penguin being elected mayor of a small town and declared a city-wide holiday called Slide on Your Belly Day. I was also asked if I would try to put the poem to music. I have included the words to the poem below.

BELLY SLIDE DAY

The penguin said slide
So that’s what we all did
On a warm summer Wisconsin eve

On our bodies face first, down the hills
Down the dales
It was almost too much to believe

Old and young slid together on
Belly slide day
Farmers and cowmen did too
In spite of our worries, we slid hand in hand
Just like, I guess, most penguins do

Belly sliding I highly recommend
It sure beats sliding on your own rear end (2x)

Myrtle McDougall brought her cardboard square
And slide time and time with great ease
Officer Johnson slid slightly too fast
And almost ran into a tree

The bankers and businessmen
Slid for a while
They laughed as their ride reached a great speed
The teachers and doctors, like Artemis Jones
Slid right through a big patch of weeds.

Belly sliding I highly recommend
It sure beats sliding on your own rear end (2x)

The Douglass twins, Sherry and, yes, Shelly, too
Were sliders beyond all compare
They took home the medal and heard Sopu say,
“You are sliders extraordinaire!”

As the sun set, the sliding fun gradually stopped
Except a few folks there and here
Now with our bellies filled up with great warmth
We practice our slides for next year.

Belly sliding I highly recommend
It sure beats sliding on your own rear end (2x)