INSENSIBILITY
They tell me that the day is fair,
With blossoms springing everywhere;
I do not know, I cannot say,
For thou, my love, art far away.
They tell me that the birds sing sweet,
That brooklets ripple at my feet;
I do not know, I cannot hear,
For thou, my love, art nowhere near.
They tell me that the sky is blue,
The hills take on a purple hue;
I do not know, I cannot see,
For thou, my love, art not with me.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF CUPID
Ever so many years ago,
When Cupid was quite young, you know,
There were no schools at all, and so,
Athirst for information,
Each day the funny little chap
Would climb up in Dame Venus’ lap,
And study from a book or map
To get his education.
He traced in his Geography
The Primrose Path to Arcady;
He bounded Agapemone,
And Flowery Fields Elysian.
Then, his Arithmetic begun,
He learned that one and one make one,
That one from two leaves simply none,
And Love abhors division.
From Botany he learned to know
The value of the mistletoe,
And why a rose is cherished so,
Even when it is faded.
Rhetoric taught him how to say
Fair speeches in a pretty way;
And if a lass should murmur “Nay,”
How she must be persuaded.
On History’s thrilling page he met
With Romeo and Juliet,
Brave Aucassin and Nicolette,
And other hearts devoted.
Then in Astronomy he found
What ’tis that makes the world go round,
And why the moon is so renowned,
And shooting stars are noted.
In Grammar Cupid had to say
“I love, thou lov’st, he loves,” each day,
And learn of hearts declined, that they
Can still be conjugated.
He studied the Industrial Arts,
Became adept at mending hearts,
Right skilfully he fashioned darts,
And wondrous love-knots plaited.
A Magic course he had to take,
And for sad hearts that ache or break
Love-philters strange he learned to make
From musk and myrrh and myrtle.
He studied deeply souls that yearned,
Investigated hearts that burned,
And all the tricks and habits learned
Of doves, both ring and turtle.
And so Dan Cupid is no fool,
But he’s well versed in love and rule,
Although he never went to school
And never went to college.
He’s blind, and yet the rogue can see
A thousand times as well as we;
And that’s how Cupid comes to be
A Paragon of Knowledge.