The Blankful Heart by Mr. Meus (he writes in the style of Dr. Seuss)
◦ All the Babbles in Babbleland Each owned a mansion -
◦ A twelve-car garage and at least one expansion.
◦ Each Babble made sure to buy many things,
◦ The men many cars, the women big rings.
◦ No Babble went hungry in that Babbleland.
◦ No, no Babble woman, and no Babble man.
◦ And the richest of all in that Babbleland
◦ Was a Babble named Billy, a big-bellied man.
◦ That big Billy Babble, the richest of all:
◦ He always had double, his house twice as tall.
◦ He always collected much more and more stuff;
◦ No matter how much, it was never enough.
◦ All his stuff twice as big, twice as much, twice as nice-
◦ With his will even saying he'll be buried twice.
◦ It's a good thing the Babbles had always enough,
◦ 'Cause Billy would never give them any stuff.
◦ He collected more stuff, making sure not to share.
◦ Though he found it all useless, he didn't care.
◦ He bought a buzzoo twice as big as you've seen,
◦ And he bought a buthimperbug-making machine.
◦ He bought a barimba that was like no other.
◦ And right after that… he bought another.
◦ That big Billy Babble sure had a lot,
◦ And he bought, and he bought,
◦ And he bought…
◦ And he… bought.
◦ But no matter how much that Billy would buy,
◦ A something was missing, he didn't know why.
◦ He didn't know why - didn't even know what.
◦ But something was missing he knew in his gut.
◦ He felt in his heart a strange kind of blank.
◦ What could it be? He thunk and he thank.
◦ He paid Babble doctors to look at his heart.
◦ They all sent him to… the medicine mart.
◦ He bought the best meds - every last drop he drank.
◦ But still in his heart, was the horrible blank.
◦ Then one Babble doctor, who looked a bit odd,
◦ Showed up at his door saying, "I'm Doctor Bodd.
◦ If you want to be cured, you must do what I say.
◦ Go take a vacation: In Bibbleville stay .
◦ A nice little town, spend some time over there.
◦ You'll find blankful hearts over there are quite rare."
◦ "But why would I do that, when everything's here?
◦ Why go far away, and not somewhere near?"
◦ "If you want to be cured, going there is a must.
◦ The choice is all yours: to trust or distrust."
◦ So Billy then said in his head, "Hey, why not?
◦ This doctor's advice is all that I've got."
◦ And he reached in his pocket for a big Babble bill.
◦ But when he looked up… Bodd was way down the hill.
◦ Then Billy decided to leave on the double.
◦ He buckled himself in his big Babble bubble.
◦ He flew over water. He floated past land.
◦ He floated past trees. He flew over sand.
◦ He finally came to Bibbleville, and…
◦ He found it so different from in Babbleland.
◦ The Bibbles were simple; the Babbles were not.
◦ The Bibbles had little; the Babbles a lot.
◦ All the Bibbles, they lived so simple and small.
◦ They owned what they needed - that really was all.
◦ They had simple homes, simple food, simple lives.
◦ They had simple husbands; they had simple wives.
◦ They had simple girls; they had simple boys.
◦ They had simple pets; they had simple toys.
◦ Their "toys" were so simplethat "they" were just one,
◦ Just one toy per kid, with which they had fun.
◦ That one kind of toy, that Bibble kid thing,
◦ Was really no more than a simple white string.
◦ But Bibble kids loved those strings with no names.
◦ They invented with them over 300 games.
◦ Some games were played solo; and some with a friend;
◦ Some with the middle; some with the string's end.
◦ And some Bibble siblings had even to share.
◦ Did they fight over it? No, they didn't care.
◦ Big Billy Babble continued to stare,
◦ At the Bibbles so simple, who just didn't care.
◦ And unlike the Babbles, they had little stuff.
◦ But Bibbles were happy, and had quite enough.
◦ Then a Bibble came up to that big Babble, Billy,
◦ With his mouth hanging open, Billy felt silly.
◦ And big Billy Babble was still in his bubble.
◦ So the Bibble then said, "Let me help you - no trouble."
◦ "I'm Bobby Bibble. I live over there.
◦ I see that you're new here; I'm happy to share.
◦ Take half of my food, half of my drink, half my stuff.
◦ You can even take more; I'll still have enough."
◦ "I hope you like Bibble bread: That's what we eat.
◦ And we store a few berries for guests that we meet.
◦ They're Bibblebush berries; they taste really great.
◦ You can have all of mine - I have a whole eight."
◦ That big Billy Babble knew not what to say.
◦ The two hadn't met until, well, today.
◦ I don't even share with people I know,
◦ Thought Bill, and felt oh so… so… so… so… low.
◦ This Bibble has nothing compared to my things,
◦ But he lives more contented than princes and kings.
◦ And the whole of this town is bubbling with pleasure,
◦ As if they each own their own buried treasure.
◦ So Billy asked Bobby, "In your hearts are there blanks?"
◦ "No, Billy Babble: We give many thanks."
◦ "We learned that the cure for a heart that is blankful
◦ Is making that heart a heart that is thankful."
◦ Then big Billy Babble, unable to speak,
◦ Felt a little ol' tear rolling down his right cheek.
◦ Then he felt his heart filling with joy and with thanks,
◦ And he felt his heart emptied of any more blanks.
◦ And big Billy Babble could never repay
◦ That lesson from Bobby, except but to say:
◦ "Thank you for curing my heart that was blankful."
◦ "Thank you - you gave me a heart that is…
THANKFUL."