Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TAR AND FEATHERS, by ANDREW BARTON PATERSON Poet's Biography First Line: Oh! The circus swooped down Last Line: Has a 'down' on himself and on circuses. Alternate Author Name(s): Paterson, 'banjo' Subject(s): Circus | ||||||||
Oh! the circus swooped down On the Narrabri town, For the Narrabri populace moneyed are; And the showman he smiled At the folk he beguiled To come all the distance from Gunnedah. But a juvenile smart, Who objected to 'part', Went in on the nod, and to do it he Crawled in through a crack In the tent at the back, For the boy had no slight ingenuity. And says he with a grin, 'That's the way to get in; But I reckon I'd better be quiet or They'll spiflicate me,' And he chuckled, for he Had the loan of the circus proprietor. But the showman astute On that wily galoot Soon dropped -- you'll be thinking he leathered him -- Not he; with a grim Sort of humorous whim, He took him and tarred him and feathered him. Says he, 'You can go Round the world with a show, And knock every Injun and Arab wry; With your name and your trade On the posters displayed, The feathered what-is-it from Narrabri.' Next day for his freak By a Narrabri Beak, He was jawed with a deal of verbosity; For his only appeal Was 'professional zeal' -- He wanted another monstrosity. Said his Worship, 'Begob! You are fined forty bob, And six shillin's costs to the clurk!' he says. And the Narrabri joy, Half bird and half boy, Has a 'down' on himself and on circuses. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BOARDMAN AND COFFIN by CONRAD AIKEN THE WRECK OF THE CIRCUS TRAIN by HAYDEN CARRUTH THE MINIMUM CIRCUS by HENRI COLE THE CIRCUS RINGMASTER'S APOLOGY TO GOD by NORMAN DUBIE THE CIRCUS (I) by KENNETH KOCH THE SOVIET CIRCUS VISITS HAVANA, 1969 by VIRGIL SUAREZ THE VENUS HOTTENTOT by ELIZABETH ALEXANDER THE CIRCUS (II) by KENNETH KOCH THE END OF THE WORLD by ARCHIBALD MACLEISH A BALLAD OF DUCKS by ANDREW BARTON PATERSON |
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