Snake and Potato Bug

James McIntyre 1828 (Forres) – 1906



A TRUE TALE.

'Can such things be and overcome us like a summer cloud,
without our special wonder, '-SHAKESPEAR.

In a grocery store in Ingersoll our attention was called to a copper-headed
snake wriggling in a glass jar. We noticed a peculiarity about its head, but
soon found out it was a potato bug, which was afraid of being drowned ; and
the only above water being the snake's head and neck, it was fondly clinging
thereto. There being 'no jutty-frieze buttress or coigne of vantage, where it
could make its pendant bed, elsewhere.

Some poets they abroad do roam,
But we find themes are near to home ;
As we do seldom travel far,
This is a song of a glass jar.

Snake of species of the copper,
And on its head there was live hopper,
For we saw that funny sight
In a store, it was last night.

There in water was a snake,
And a bug so wide awake;
He was afraid that he would drown
So he clomb up on the snake's crown.

This snake it is near a foot long,
Which doth suffer this great wrong,
It thinks the bug wants it to throttle
This makes it wriggle in the bottle.

But fondly the kind hearted bug,
It doth its preserver hug,
For the bug when on the water
It is only but a squatter.

And hath taken up homestead
On the top of the snake's head,
And on the waters it doth float
Safe and happy on this boat.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:17 min read
99

Quick analysis:

Scheme X XA XXXXXA BBAA AACC DDEE FFGG HHAA IIJJ
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,283
Words 255
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 1, 2, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

James McIntyre

James McIntyre, minstrel performer, vaudeville and theatrical actor, and a partner in the famous blackface tramp comedy duo act McIntyre and Heath. more…

All James McIntyre poems | James McIntyre Books

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