Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A GOTHAMITE IN CAMELOT, by BERTON BRALEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A GOTHAMITE IN CAMELOT, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Now james h. Brown in gotham town
Last Line: But that he had awoken!
Subject(s): Courage; Fights; Knights & Knighthood; Valor; Bravery


Now James H. Brown in Gotham Town
Did live and work and play.
Away from there he'd seldom fare
And almost never stray.

Most commonplace in form and face
Our hero was, I wot,
Till, on a time, he dreamed he was
A Knight in Camelot.

He had a helmet on his head
And armor round his form
Of iron wrought—the which, he thought
Uncomfortably warm.

"What's this," he cried, "that I'm inside,
And what's this mast I hold?"
(It was a lance; his ignorance
Is fearful to behold.)

His lackey spoke: "Sire, gentlefolk
On these things place reliance
For jousts with knights and sundry fights
With ogres, dragons, giants!"

Then with a frown spake James H. Brown,
"All right, kid, lead me to it,
This knightly stuff sounds kind of rough
But maybe I can do it!"

So James H. Brown began to tilt
And in a manner breezy
He dodged each blow, then tripped his foe
And chuckled, "This is easy!"

The dragons too, he blithely slew
And giants, fierce and dread ones,
While ogres grim were pie for him;
He strewed the land with dead ones.

When Merlin pulled his magic tricks
Our hero sneered, "A greeny
Could get that guy with half an eye
You otta see Houdini!"

Said Launcelot, "Brave warrior, what
Has been your early training
That you are now so great a wow?
I vow it takes explaining!"

Said James H. Brown, "In Gotham Town
I joust each day, I bet you,
With busses, autos, ten-ton trucks;
If you ain't quick—they get you!

"Your Giants—poor! They're amatoor,
They do things in a dub way;
Say, listen Pard, I'VE bucked a Guard
At rush hour in the Subway!

"Your dragons and your ogres—say,
They're meek and limp and waxy;
I'VE bluffed the door-man at the Ritz,
The Chauffeur of a Taxi;

"I'VE made box-office clerks be good,
I'VE bawled out swell Head-Waiters,
I'VE made the Janitor send steam
Through ice-cold radiators!

"I'm going back to New York Town
Where life has more attraction,
This Camelot is not so hot,
I want a little action!"

And James H. Brown of Gotham Town
When these here words were spoken
Found he was not in Camelot
But that he had awoken!





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