Looking for the rest of this poem please:
Put-Off Town
Have you ever been to Put-Off Town
where the houses are old and tumbled down,
and everything tarries and everything drags,
with dirty streets and people in rags?
On the street of Slow lives old man Wait
with his two little Boys named Linger and Late,
help???
thanks
You are not the first one to look for it:
[gVLFAFobDYC:www.activedayton.com/partners/ddn/epaper/editions/today/opinion_4.html+%22where+the+houses+are+old%22+town&hl=fr&ie=UTF-8
(it is cached in google; you might have to copy the link)
I couldn't find anything else. Sorry.
Gretchen,
This reminds me of Gossiptown...anonymous:
Have you ever heard of Gossiptown
On the shore of Falsehood Bay,
Where Old Dame Rumor with rustling gown
Is going the livelong Day?
It isn't far to Gossiptown
For people who want to go,
The Idleness train will take you down
In just an hour or so.
The thoughtless road is crowded, you'll find,
For most folks start that way;
But it's all down hill and, if you don't mind,
You'll land in Falsehood Bay.
You glide through the valley of Wicked Talk,
And into the tunnel of Hate;
Then, crossing the Bitterness Bridge,
You walk right into the city gate.
The principal street is called "They Say,"
And "I've Heard" is the public well,
And the breezes that blow from Falsehood Bay
Are laden with "Don't You Tell!"
In the midst of the town is Telltale Park-
You're never quite safe when there;
For its owner is Madame Suspicious Remark,
Who lives on the street "Don't Care.
jhs
Nice catch! I wonder which (if either) is the original and which the take off.
I don't know which came first, Gossiptown is in a book from 1942 along with another similar piece:
The Town Of Don't You Worry...anonymous
There's a town called Don't you worry
On the banks of River Smile,
Where the Cheer-up and Be-happy
Blossom sweetly all the while;
Where the Never-grumble flower
Blooms beside the fragrant Try,
And the Ne'er-give-up and Patience
Point there faces towrds the sky.
Rustic benches quite enticing
You'll find scattered here and there;
And to each a vine is clinging
Called the Frequent-earnest prayer.
Everybody there is happy
And is singing all the while,
In the town of Don't you worry
On the banks of River Smile.
jhs
Pam,
The Breakfast Club Family Album by Don McNeill. He hosted a morning radio variety show out of Chicago and the book highlights performers and various presentations made on the air. It's filled with poems, stories, photos and such. Offers a nice slice of life as it was in the early 40's.
jhs
Thanks. [makes quick jump to abebooks, sees lots of copies, makes note for next available cash.......]
pam
This poem was the subject of another thread in December 2006, and the rest of it has now been found by David Landreeve (March 2009)- thought I'd cut and post the complete version here in case anyone still checks this thread in hope:
PUT-OFF TOWN
Did you ever go to Put-Off town,
Where the houses are old and tumble-down,
And everything tarries and everything drags,
With dirty streets and people in rags?
On the street of Slow lives Old Man Wait,
And his two little boys named Linger and Late ;
With unclean hands and tousled hair,
And a naughty little sister named I Don t Care.
Grandmother Growl lives in this town,
With her two little daughters called Fret and Frown ;
And Old Man Lazy lives all alone
Around the corner on Street Postpone.
Did you ever go to Put-Off town
To play with the little girls, Fret and Frown,
Or to the home of Old Man Wait,
And whistle for his boys to come to the gate?
To play all day in Tarry Street,
Leaving your errands for other feet ?
To stop or shirk, or linger, or frown,
Is the nearest way to this old town.