He was not afraid of bugs —

He loved fire, guns, and slugs.

To the tiger in the zoo,

Chaim Tzvi just said, “Pooh-pooh!”

And nobody was so zealous

As to frighten Mommy Ganeles

In the middle of one night

Mommy Gan turned on her light

And said, “Something is not right!”

Chaim Tzvi sat in bed,

Cried and cried — his eyes were red.

And soon after Hatzalah came

One man whipped out his phone,

And he dialed: Three-Six-Oh-Oh —

“Ambulance,” he said, “to the hospital we go!”

Chaim Tzvi woke up two hours

Later, in a room with flowers.

Chaim Tzvi soon ate and spoke

And on his bed was a remote.

And a screen on the wall that was calling

Though Mommy Gan found it appalling.

One nice morning Mommy Gan said,

“It’s a fine day to visit Chaim Tzvi in bed.”

Stampeding with giddy face,

Caps and tzitzis out of place

In they walked and then said, “Wow!”

When they saw the toys and gadgets

And Chinese food from LeChow.

“Good-bye,” they said, “we’ll come again,”

And the Gan children left in the rain.

They went home and they broke their toys

made a mess

And lots of noise.

In the middle of the night

Mommy Gan turned on her light

And said, “Something is not right!”

And afraid of a disaster

Mommy Gan ran fast and faster

And she said, “Please kinderlach do—

Tell me what is bothering you?”

And all the Gan kids cried, “Boohoo,

We want to have a 24Six, too!”

“Shah, kinderlach!

Please back to your beds

And now go to sleep!”

Mommy Gan said.

And she turned out the light —

And closed the door —

And that’s all there is —

There isn’t any more.

“But, Ma! Just because he had surgery, why does he get one?

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 944)