The Tonsil Streptococcus Poem by Herbert Nehrlich

I met a frog the other night
he asked if could spare some time,
it seemed that I, a human, might
be able to reverse a crime.

A princess had been at the weir,
drank water from the river's edge.
She saw a man and said 'my dear',
I like you and can make the pledge

that if I kiss you, you shall be
a prince and suited thus to wed,
not that dumb girl but pretty me,
and sleep inside my Royal bed.'

He offered quickly her his cheek
and she bestowed a little peck,
and in the darkness, near the creek
he shrank! It started at the neck.

She tricked him, made of him a frog,
and he did not enjoy the change,
'would you', he said, 'sit on that log
and I will kiss you to arrange

the transformation to a man,
it's all I ever want to be.'
The kiss took place, and right to plan
the frog turned man. However, me

I had been changed into a critter
that can't be seen with naked eyes.
My home is near the kitty's litter
and in the socks of college guys.

I am a streptococcus bug!
My duty is to make you sick,
I come in stealth, give you a hug
and that is not my only trick.

My cousin Staph has different tastes
he takes to blood and worn out skin,
we both enjoy to leave our wastes
and live without or live within.

Now, having been so badly tricked
I do accept my destiny,
my wounds have long been superlicked
from now I bring you misery.

Though one exception did occur,
I found the tonsils of a lady,
to whom from now I shall refer
as keeper of a very shady

and, warm and soft and mucoid home,
that's where I live now, no one knows,
once a big man, today a gnome,
she breathes and a kind wind blows.