Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, MONA LISA, by JOHN KENDRICK BANGS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MONA LISA, by                     Poet's Biography
Last Line: Is your captor, mona lisa!
Alternate Author Name(s): Hotair, Dopeton
Subject(s): Art & Artists; Crime & Criminals; Mona Lisa; Portraits


MONA LISA, Mona Lisa!
Have you gone? Great Julius Caesar!
Who's the Chap so bold and pinchey
Thus to swipe the great da Vinci,
Taking France's first Chef d'oeuvre
Squarely from old Mr. Louvre,
Easy as some pocket-picker
Would remove our handkerchicker
As we ride in careless folly
On some gaily bounding trolley?

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa,
Who's your Captor? Doubtless he's a
Crafty sort of treasure-seeker --
Ne'er a Turpin e'er was sleeker --
But, alas, if he can win you
Easily as I could chin you,
What is safe in all the nations
From his dreadful depredations?
He's the style of Chap, I'm thinkin',
Who will drive us all to drinkin'!

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa,
Next he'll swipe the Tower of Pisa,
Pulling it from out its socket
For to hide it in his pocket;
Or perhaps he'll up and steal, O,
Madame Venus, late of Milo;
Or maybe while on the grab he
Will annex Westminster Abbey,
And elope with that distinguished
Heap of Ashes long extinguished.

Maybe too, O Mona Lisa,
He will come across the seas a --
Searching for the style of treasure
That we have in richest measure.
Sunset Cox's brazen statue,
Have a care lest he shall catch you!
Or maybe he'll set his eye on
Hammerstein's, or the Flatiron,
Or some bit of White Wash done
By those lads at Washington --

Truly he's a crafty geezer,
Is your Captor, Mona Lisa!





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