"From here on earth,From my small place
I ask of You
Way out in space:
Please tell all men
In every land
What you and I
Both understand...
Please tell all men
That Peace is Good.
That's all
That need be understood.
In every world
In Your great sky.
(We understand.
Both You and I.)
-Dr. Seuss
The December 23, 1955 issue of Collier's Magazine devoted a full-color page to this poem titled A Prayer for a Child. It is the only published piece where Dr. Seuss broke his self-imposed rule that his work not have religious connotations. Dr. Seuss generally tried to insure his writing would appeal to children of all different faiths.
Advertisers offered Dr. Seuss a large payment for the right to use this verse in a holiday message and when Dr. Seuss declined the offer they increased the amount. Which he still refused.
His agent pointed out that this verse consisted of less than 100 words and if Dr. Seuss accepted the deal he would go into the Guinness Book of Records as the writer paid the most money per word.
Dr. Seuss responded that he would "rather be in the Guinness Book of Records as the writer who refused to be paid the most money per word!" Gotta love Dr. Seuss!
