Now I come to where are waving Painted palms, precisely planned, Rearing trunks of cocoa shaving, By electric zephyrs fanned, Soothing me with sound seraphic Till I sink into a swoon, Dreaming cineomatographic Dreams beneath an arc-light moon.
Once Cupid, he Went on a spree And made a peck of trouble, “Ah ha!” cried he, “Two hearts I see!” Alack, the rogue saw double.
There was but one; What has he done? How could he be so stupid? Into one heart _Two_ arrows dart-- O Cupid, Cupid, Cupid!
In truth ’t is sweet When “two hearts beat As one”--but what to do When in one heart Two arrows smart And _one heart beats as two_?
Just two minutes more! O Tempus, stand still, Stand still, I implore, One moment, until I have time to reflect On what I would say. Give me time to collect My senses, I pray, Until I have said What my courage was mounting To say, when instead I was stupidly counting The moments that fled! O Tempus! you’re flying! A plague on this parting, This sighing, goodbying, This smiling and smarting; A plague too upon This--Heavens! it’s starting! Good bye!-- There, she’s gone!
The air was full of shouts and cries, Of shrill “Ha-ha’s,” and “Ho’s,” and “Hi’s,” And every kind of whistle, And the sky was dark with flying things-- Golf-sticks, balls, engagement-rings, Novels, rackets, and billiard-cues, Cameras, fishing-rods, and shoes, And every sort of missile.
The ground was black with a seething mass Of people of every kind and class-- Matrons, men, and misses, Ladies and gentlemen, old and new, Lads and lasses, and children too, Elderly men with elderly wives-- Hustling and bustling for their lives. “I wonder what all this is?”
Said I: “I fear that it may be Another case for the S. P. C. ’T will bear investigation.” I dropped my book and joined the race, And struggling into the foremost place, Behold, the object of the chase Was an aged man with wrinkled face! I was filled with indignation.
His frame was bent and his knees aknock, His head was bald but for one lock, And I cried with anger thrilling, “This thing must stop; ’t is a disgrace An aged gentleman to chase.” Then everybody laughed in my face. “This,” they cried, “is a different case; It’s only ‘Time’ we’re killing.”