In Milwaukee was born a boy
By name of Jerome Silberman;
With blue eyes wide like bubblegum
His life became only Wilder.
With minor roles in theater
His career began without shine;
So he studied England’s Shakespeare,
And then, his life became Wilder.
They asked Jerome in Bonnie’s Clyde
To take a part and make a start
Of multiple careers in art,
He changed his name, then, to Wilder.
Successful debut meant new shows
And he was asked to be Willy
Who gave out five tickets of gold.
Wilder was Wonka the Wilder.
In his purple clown suit he ruled
In his Chocolate Factory
Scaring kids aged three to ninety
That crazy-eyed young Gene Wilder.
Years passed by, with three or so wives
He acted until two thousand three;
Thirteen years later, he was eighty-three,
With Alzheimer's, this Gene Wilder.
Monday August twenty-ninth shone
Bright and warm in the foggy air
But the chocolate factory declined
From Wilder-ness to less Wilder.
An Australian bar heard the news
The special is: rainbow burgers;
Sixteen dollars apiece this week
Now, there is not something Wilder.