Thursday, April 14, 2011

Christopher Robin Visits the Houses of Parliament

In honor of Poem in Your Pocket Day, here is "When We Were Very Silly," a parody of A. A. Milne by J. B. Morton (a.k.a. the humor columnist "Beachcomber"). It describes a very healthy attitude toward politics.
There are Communists and Socialists and Conservatives and things,
There are cranks, and dupes, and forgers and their slimy underlings,
There’s a roaring man with a ruddy face, and another as quiet as a mouse —
But I gave a bun to the Premier when I went down to the House.

There’s a man who brays “Protection,” and a lady who curses drink,
And at least three hundred and forty-six who never knew how to think,
There’s one who cries the Millennium, and one with a permanent grouse,
But I gave a bun to the Premier when I went down to the House.

There’s a wretched, lonely Liberal, with a face as long as a flute,
And a man who spends his leisure hours in making a corner in jute,
There’s every shade of incompetence, and all humbug under the sun,
But whenever I go down to the House the Premier takes the bun.
"To give a bun" has no idiomatic meaning that I'm aware of, so I assume he means it literally — as Milne no doubt would have.

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