Singers of words that are scrambled,
Say, if you will, that he "died,"
Write, if you must, that he "ambled"—
We shall be last to deride.
But us to the Forest of Arden,
Along with the misanthrope Jaques,
If you cling to the "sinister garden"
And stick to "initial sack."
Speak of the "sphere's aberration,"
Mention the "leathery globe,"
Say he got "free transportation"—
Though that try the patience of Job.
But if you're wise you'll discard en-
Cumbrances such as we thwack—
Especially "sinister garden"
And the "initial sack."
Footlight Motifs
I
MRS. FISKE
Staccato, hurried, nervous, brisk,
Cascading, intermittent, choppy,
The brittle voice of Mrs. Fiske
Shall serve me now as copy.
Assist me, O my Muse, what time
I pen a bit of Deathless Rhyme!
Time was, when first that voice I heard,
Despite my close and tense endeavour,
When many an important word
Was lost and gone forever;
Though, unlike others at the play,
I never whispered: "wha'd'd she say?"
Some words she runstogetherso;
Some others are distinctly stated;
Some cometoofast and s o m e t o o s l o w
And some are syncopated.
And yet no voice—I am sincere—
Exists that I prefer to hear.
For what is called "intelligence"
By every Mrs. Fiskeian critic
As usual is just a sense
Of humour, analytic.
So any time I'm glad to frisk
Two bones to witness Mrs. Fiske.