Short Poems

There was an Old Man of the East,
Who gave all his children a feast;
But they all ate so much, and their conduct was such,
That it killed that Old Man of the East.

There was an Old Man of the Dee,
Who was sadly annoyed by a flea;
When he said, " I will scratch it" — they gave him a hatchet,
Which grieved that Old Man of the Dee.

There was an Old Man of the coast,
Who placidly sat on a post;
But when it was cold
He relinquished his hold
And called for some hot buttered toast.

There was an Old Man of Spithead,
Who opened the window, and said, —
" Fil-jomble, fil-jumble, fil-rumble-come-tumble!"
That doubtful Old Man of Spithead.

There was an Old Man of Kamschatka
Who possessed a remarkably fat Cur;
His gait and his waddle
Were held as a model
To all the fat dogs in Kamschatka.

There was an Old Man of Girgenti,
Who lived in profusion and plenty;
He lay on two chairs, and ate thousands of pears,
That susceptible Man of Girgenti.

There was an Old Man of Dunblane,
Who greatly resembled a crane;
But they said, — " Is it wrong, since your legs are so long,
To request you won't stay in Dunblane?"

There was an Old Man of Bohemia,
Whose daughter was christened Euphemia;
Till one day, to his grief, she married a thief,
Which grieved that Old Man of Bohemia.

There was an old lady of Chertsey,
Who made a remarkable curtsey;
She twirled round and round,
Till she sank underground,
Which distressed all the people of Chertsey.

There was a Young Person of Crete,
Whose toilette was far from complete;
She dressed in a sack, spickle-speckled with black,
That ombliferous person of Crete.