My brother yelled a naughty word
When he woke up today.
He shook his crib and shouted out.
Mom asked, “What did he say?”
I looked at her and shrugged and blinked
And said I hadn’t heard.
I figured I had better lie
And not repeat the word.
My brother’s only twelve months old
And doesn’t talk too much.
He gurgles “mama,” “bye-bye,” “car,”
“dada,” “night-night,” and such.
But now he knows another word
You don’t use at the table.
You never hear it on TV
Unless your house has cable.
I’ve thought this through—no need to lie
Next time he drops his bomb.
I’ll simply look surprised and ask,
“Just what does that mean, Mom?”