Wit and Humor of America, The Vol 02

<h2>VIVE LA BAGATELLE</h2> <h3>BY GELETT BURGESS</h3> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Sing a song of foolishness, laughing stocks and cranks!<br/></span> <span class="i0">The more there are the merrier; come join the ranks!<br/></span> <span class="i0">Life is dry and stupid; whoop her up a bit!<br/></span> <span class="i0">Donkeys live in clover; bray and throw a fit!<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Take yourself in earnest, never stop to think,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Strut and swagger boldly, dress in red and pink;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Prate of stuff and nonsense, get yourself abused;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Some one's got to play the fool to keep the crowd amused!<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Bully for the idiot! Bully for the guy!<br/></span> <span class="i0">You could be a prig yourself, if you would only try!<br/></span> <span class="i0">Altruistic asses keep the fun alive;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Clowns are growing scarcer; hurry and arrive!<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">I seen a crazy critic a-writin' of a screed;<br/></span> <span class="i0">"Tendencies" and "Unities"&mdash;Maeterlinck indeed!<br/></span> <span class="i0">He wore a paper collar, and his tie was up behind;<br/></span> <span class="i0">If that's the test of Culture, then I'm glad I'm not refined!<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Let me laugh at you, then you can laugh at me;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Then we'll josh together everything we see;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Every one's a nincompoop to another's view;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Laughter makes the sun shine! Roop-de-doodle-doo!<br/></span> <span class='pagenum'><SPAN name="Page_281" id="Page_281"></SPAN></span></div> </div> <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />