April is National Poetry Month, and I’m told that today, somewhere, it’s Look Up At the Sky Day. So today, I’d like to give you one of my favorite poems. I first read this in The Oxford Book of Light Verse back in college while looking for a bit of sunshine in the midst of deary study. Here’s an old sea shanty, meant for singin’.
Old Joe is dead and gone to hell,
Oh, we say so, and we hope so;
Old Joe is dead and gone to hell.
Oh, poor old Joe!
He’s as dead as a nail in the lamp-room door,
Oh, we say so, and we hope so;
He’s as dead as a nail in the lamp-room door.
Oh, poor old Joe!
He won’t come hazing us no more,
Oh, we say so, and we hope so;
He won’t come hazing us no more,
Oh, poor old Joe!
I know a variation of that song called “Poor Old Horse.”
A poor old man came riding by,
(And we say so! And we hope so!)
Said I, “Old man, your horse will die.
(Poor old horse!)
And if he dies we’ll tan his hide
(And we say so! And we hope so!)
But if he lives, again we’ll ride.
(Poor old horse!)