Author: Ellis Parker Butler

1775 Said Congress to George Washington: “To set this country free, You’ll have to whip the Britishers And chase them […]

Comrades, many a year and day Have fled since that glorious 9th of May When we made the charge at […]

Soft was the night, the eve how airy, When through the big, fat dictionary I wandered on in careless ease, […]

I hold her letter as I stand, Nor break the seal; no need to guess What dainty little female hand […]

Listen, ladies, while I sing The ballad of John Henry King. John Henry was a bachelor, His age was thirty-three […]

The Sheep adorns the landscape rural And is both singular and plural- It gives grammarians the creeps To hear one […]

When our yacht sails seaward on steady keel And the wind is moist with breath of brine And our laughter […]

To be a great musician you must be a man of moods, You have to be, to understand sonatas and […]

The forest holds high carnival to-day, And every hill-side glows with gold and fire; Ivy and sumac dress in colors […]

The sluggish clouds hang low upon the town, And from yon lamp in chilled and sodden rays The feeble light […]

Saint Peter stood, at Heaven’s gate, All souls claims to adjudicate Saying to some souls, “Enter in!” “Go to Hell,” […]

Twain? Oh, yes, I’ve heard Mark Twain Heard him down to Pleasant Plain; Funny? Yes, I guess so. Folks Seemed […]

(with apologies to Frederic Taber Cooper) I well recall (and who does not) The circus bill-board hippopotamus, Whose wide distended […]

Was ever a maiden so worried? I’ll admit I am partial to Jim, For Jimmie has promised to wed me […]

I told her I loved her and begged but a word, One dear little word, that would be For me […]

In hand I take this pen of mine To write you, sweet, a valentine; I’d take your dainty hand instead, […]

I bowed my head in anguish sore When Life made Death his bride; “Soul, we are lost forever more!” Unto […]

The Whale is found in seas and oceans, Indulging there in fishlike motions, But Science shows that Whales are mammals, […]

Cupid on a summer day, Wearied by unceasing play, In a rose heart sleeping lay, While, to guard the tricksy […]

When Cupid held an auction sale, I hastened to his mart, For I had heard that he would sell The […]

O! fair, sweet Phyllis and sweet, fair May, Which of you carried my heart away? Who has my heart? I […]

The cruelty of P. L. Brown- (He had ten toes as good as mine) Was known to every one in […]

Oh! Montmorency Vere de Vere, To think that one I held so dear Should use a base deceiver’s art To […]

I have no heart to write verses to May; I have no heart-yet I’m cheerful today; I have no heart-she […]

When Love and I drew softly nigh And gazed in modest Chloe’s eye We saw reflected there in part The […]

I know something wonderful-wonderful; So strange it will quite startle you; So strange and absurd and unusual It seems it […]

And now behold this sulking boy, His costly presents bring no joy; Harsh tears of anger fill his eye Tho’ […]

A merry burgomaster In a burgh upon the Rhine Said, “Our burghers all are Far too fond of drinking wine.” […]

When with me the play she goes, I much admire the buds and bows And all that on Kate’s headgear […]

She does not mind a good cigar (The kind, that is, I smoke); She thinks all men quite stupid are, […]