Shel Silverstein

"The Perfect High"

This simple poetic anecdote by Silverstein has a moral.  Gimmesome Roy is the main character and the majority of the poem details the many ways in which Mr. Roy sought "the perfect high" from every intoxicant he could find. It seems that Gimmesome was predisposed to substance abuse from a very early age for we are told that "As a kid, he sat in the cellar, sniffing airplane glue." (Line 3).  Despite his endless experimentation, Gimmesome cannot seem to satisfy his longing.  What is it that he seeks?  Substance abuse counselors the world over might tell us that the addict seeks to escape his reality and become like someone else; to change his mind with the assistance of intoxicants in avoidance of himself.  He is his own worst enemy and cannot bear simply to be.  After much seeking, Gimmesome takes the proverbial climb up the mountain upon which sits a guru.  The guru's name is Baba Fats.  Shel Silverstein is ever the comedian and beings light to any situation.  The throes and pangs of the life of the addict are a serious matter but Silverstein makes it laughable and therefore palatable with his whimsical sense of humor.  The guru informs Gimmesome that the answer lies within.  He says "Son, if you would seek the perfect high--find it in yourself." (Line 36).  The message is clear and the poem is hardly cryptic.  It is written in a hipster style with slang words and colloquialisms, yet with class and depth.