She was from Mississippi 

They called her Miss Sippy

She never liked the name but wasn’t sure who to blame

For being overweight 

For stu-stu-stuttering since before the first grade 

It caused some isolation 

Teases and sneers made for pricey imagination 

She talked to her stuffed animals and listened to talk radio 

She didn’t want anyone to know 

When one day Miss New Hampshire spoke 

And she said, “Life isn’t fair and we grew up broke”

But I went to the public library and was welcomed by the librarian

In the digital age I became a contrarian”
She said, “Books are superior to looks and vocabulary can make one rich”

Read each word, inch by inch! And talk about them!”

Miss Sippy started walking to the library

The first time it was quite scary 

But one day (after a few years!) Miss New Hampshire was there

Along with the librarian

They were putting on a fair 

Miss Sippy spoke fluently about all the books she’d read and about her community 

She touted the librarian for helping her learn pronunciation and communication 

They read about and talked about healthy foods 

Miss Sippy was lean and healthy 

She and the librarian and Miss New Hampshire were wealthy 

And they shared their talents: talking, reading, learning with all the kids who came 

All those who stuttered and couldn’t read the pages 

In wisdom they all realized there was no one to blame 

Slowly from Mississippi up to New Hampshire everyone, everything – got better