Bituminous?

by Shel Silverstein

The hard coal’s called bituminous,
Or is that the anthracite?
Stalactites grow down from caves,
Or do I mean stalagmites?
Those fluffy clouds are nimbus—
No—wait—they might be cumulus.
And that kid who was raised by wolves—
Was he Remus—or Romulus?
The brothauruses ate no meat.
Does that means they’re carnivorous?
Or were they brontosauruses
And were they herbivorous?
A camel is a pachyderm—
Or do I mean dromedary?
Is this match inflammable?
I thought it was incendiary.
Octagons—no hexagons—
No, heptagons have seven sides.
And don’t spray fruit with pesticides—
Or do I mean insecticides?
If I can see right through a thing,
Is it transparent—or translucent?
These are just some of the things
I find confusing… or confuscent.