Barry Louis Polisar
They Said, “Eat the Broccoli”
They said, "Eat the broccoli," I ate the broccoli
They said, "Eat the spinach," I ate the spinach
They said, "Eat the meat loaf, mashed potatoes, peanut butter
String beans, brown rice, cucumbers and all the other
Things like zucchini squash, pineapple and eggplant
Bread and butter, macaroni, corned beef, ham, also Bologna
Lemonade and grape juice, Quiche Lorraine and cous-cous
Chicken fried and baked and broiled, mushroom stems stir fried in oil...
And don't forget when you are through, we'll have some desert for you
There's apple pie and brownies, peaches, plums and nectarines
Cookies, cake and candied sweets and yogurt mixed with cottage cheese
Lemon custard, apple strudel, luchen kugle (it's cooked with noodles)
Drippy, runny ice cream cones 'cause kids can't live by bread alone."

I are so much my tummy hurt, I popped the buttons off my shirt
I bulged so big, I split my side, But still my plate was piled high
I said, "I think I've had enough," they made me eat more--I was stuffed
I cleaned the plate, now everywhere, people poke and point and stare
Whenever I go down the street, people stop to look at me
I ate and ate and ate and ate and now they say I'm overweight
Can't fit through doorways or in chairs, I tell you it just isn't fair
I break the sofa when I sit, can't go to school 'cause I can't fit
I fall asleep, I break the bed, but I've always done what my parents said

When they said, "Eat the broccoli," I ate the broccoli
When they said, "Eat the spinach,"I ate the spinach