Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, WHAT'S IN A NAME, by BERTON BRALEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

WHAT'S IN A NAME, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Reginald, algernon, archie and percy
Last Line: Went algy and archie and reggie and perce!
Subject(s): Names


Reginald, Algernon, Archie and Percy
Wandered along down the street;
Bill, Jake and Peter and Hank chuckled, "Mercy!
Ain't they too perfectly sweet?"
"Rabble like these are a blight and a curse,"
Said Reggie and Algy to Archie and Perce.

Jakey hit Percy and Peter hit Archie,
Bill picked out Reggie for his,
Hank jumped on Algy and crumpled his starchy
Collar all over his phiz;
"It seems we must fight, though to rows we're averse,"
Said Algy to Reggie and Archie to Perce.

Now back of a monocle often there dances
A sportive and dangerous zest;
And under a boutonnière sometimes it chances
There's hidden a fifty-inch chest.
And presently things went exceedingly ill
For Peter and Henry and Jakey and Bill.

A cop came along as the battle was finished
And, after some gazing around,
Discovered, their pride and their swagger diminished,
Pete, Jake, Hank and Bill on the ground.
"Yer names?" the cop queried in manner most terse,
Of Algy and Archie and Reggie and Perce!

Then "Reginald Hooley" and "Archibald Dooley"
And "Algernon Kelly" said they,
"And mine," said the other, "is Percy Gilhooley!"
Pete, Jake, Hank and Bill swooned away.
And on up the street, for their scrap none the worse,
Went Algy and Archie and Reggie and Perce!





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