The Little House on Castelar Street
Dedicated to Children's Hospital and "Dr. Dad" -- Kenneth A. Geller
Corrine "Coco" Ramirez
I.
The King’s Daughters thought it trite
To announce one spring night
A new hope for the ailing young.
On horseback in twilight,
Doctor Wills vowed to make right
this heinous angst of plight.
No fools jest t’would there be!
Nay! Not for The Little House on Castelar Street.
How fitting it be that President Teddy Bear is with me
To soothe, to pacify, to comfort and heal my aches, my fears, and sorrows!
For now, here with Teddy, I know there will be
a much brighter tomorrow.
For others like Teddy and me
There should be a place for surgery
other than in a pantry. Surgeries a-plenty
served fresh like a feast to make life
a little more stable and make living much more able.
Alas! Dear, sweet Teddy! It’s time to get ready!
For I overheard the nurses in the hall.
On Sunset and Vermont is our new place to play!
There will be plenty of Jello for all!
From 14 patients in this humble home,
More than 400,000 will come visit and roam;
A few nurses -- also one Doctor with heart,
Then over 5,200 creating surgical art!
Take heed and prepare for the 500-plus rooms!
Each with a Lenci Doll, a Teddy Bear, and rainbow of balloons!
For there will be many more in need
New wings will expand and children will hold out their hands
In search for their improbable cure.
II.
Today is the day President Woodrow Wilson will pay
a tribute to our new home!
He shall officiate from his desk, in a way,
With a telegraph, they say,
Pushing a button to open the doors!
Oh what a sight!
Our new home filled with light!
Bells ring and sing through the walls!
What’s that you say Teddy?
Of course we are ready!
Everything is going to be just fine.
The Doctors are here and the nurses do cheer!
Finally, a place they diagnose
The ailments of children and bring forth joyous toast!
A toast to health is much better than wealth!
Still, Teddy, we should not boast.
Not all who come here will go home and cheer--
Some will not even make it through the admissions door;
Death for a child so meek and so mild is too big a burden to bear.
All we can do, dear Teddy, is hold them all tight
And help each child all the way.
We will have a long journey with each mom and each dad,
We will guide them through their stay.
We will use love to make a way.
The King’s Daughters thought it trite
To announce one spring night
A new hope for the ailing young.
On horseback in twilight,
Doctor Wills vowed to make right
this heinous angst of plight.
No fools jest t’would there be!
Nay! Not for The Little House on Castelar Street.
How fitting it be that President Teddy Bear is with me
To soothe, to pacify, to comfort and heal my aches, my fears, and sorrows!
For now, here with Teddy, I know there will be
a much brighter tomorrow.
For others like Teddy and me
There should be a place for surgery
other than in a pantry. Surgeries a-plenty
served fresh like a feast to make life
a little more stable and make living much more able.
Alas! Dear, sweet Teddy! It’s time to get ready!
For I overheard the nurses in the hall.
On Sunset and Vermont is our new place to play!
There will be plenty of Jello for all!
From 14 patients in this humble home,
More than 400,000 will come visit and roam;
A few nurses -- also one Doctor with heart,
Then over 5,200 creating surgical art!
Take heed and prepare for the 500-plus rooms!
Each with a Lenci Doll, a Teddy Bear, and rainbow of balloons!
For there will be many more in need
New wings will expand and children will hold out their hands
In search for their improbable cure.
II.
Today is the day President Woodrow Wilson will pay
a tribute to our new home!
He shall officiate from his desk, in a way,
With a telegraph, they say,
Pushing a button to open the doors!
Oh what a sight!
Our new home filled with light!
Bells ring and sing through the walls!
What’s that you say Teddy?
Of course we are ready!
Everything is going to be just fine.
The Doctors are here and the nurses do cheer!
Finally, a place they diagnose
The ailments of children and bring forth joyous toast!
A toast to health is much better than wealth!
Still, Teddy, we should not boast.
Not all who come here will go home and cheer--
Some will not even make it through the admissions door;
Death for a child so meek and so mild is too big a burden to bear.
All we can do, dear Teddy, is hold them all tight
And help each child all the way.
We will have a long journey with each mom and each dad,
We will guide them through their stay.
We will use love to make a way.
Coco Ramirez is a PCC Student with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to inspire by pushing the boundaries of life. Writing poetry, children's literature and other literary works has been a secret passion since childhood. Born into a life of medical impossibilities, numerous traumas, and abuse, writing provided the strength and endurance to carry on. She is the mother of two boys, which was deemed medically impossible due to the nature of the vast medical conditions she's sustained throughout life. Given a life expectancy of 18 but armed with determination, Coco is now 40 and fiercely fighting “to reach the unreachable star," and to prove that true love conquers all.