THE day was hotter than words can tell, So hot the jelly-fish wouldn't jell. The halibut went all to butter, And the catfish had only force to utter A faint sea-mew — aye, though some have doubted, The carp he carped and the horn-pout pouted. The sardonic sardine had his sly heart's wish When the angel fish fought with the paradise-fish. 'T was a sight gave the bluefish the blues to see, But the seal concealed a wicked glee — The day it went from bad to worse, Till the pickerel picked the purse-crab's purse. And that crab felt crabbeder yet, no doubt, Because the oyster wouldn't shell out. The sculpin would sculp, but hadn't a model, And the codfish begged for something to coddle. But to both the dolphin refused its doll, Till the whale was obliged to whale them all. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TASTING THE EARTH by JAMES OPPENHEIM WAYCONNELL TOWER by WILLIAM ALLINGHAM MARIA MINOR by MARGARET AVISON MY FORE-ELDERS by WILLIAM BARNES THE FIVE CARLINS; AN ELECTION BALLAD by ROBERT BURNS WAITING IN WINTER (1) by STANLEY BURNSHAW IN MEMORY OF A DUMB FRIEND by AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR |