Elmer, Raymond, and I
They had us sing: TAKE HIS HAND
HIS STRONG TRUE HAND AND CLING
TO IT FOREVERMORE, FOREVERMORE,
and we sang like frivolous larks
on a winter evening with hymnals
around an haroomping organ
played by an ardent mission lady
who had sacred buns of hair
like conch shells over her ears,
in a solemn hall of devotions.
HIS STRONG TRUE HAND AND CLING
TO IT FOREVERMORE, FOREVERMORE,
and we sang like frivolous larks
on a winter evening with hymnals
around an haroomping organ
played by an ardent mission lady
who had sacred buns of hair
like conch shells over her ears,
in a solemn hall of devotions.
Beat the shy old devil off
who keeps grinning at your elbows,
who keeps whispering: “Go see
a movie instead” and keeps dripping
poison sweeter than punch: ah,
we were warned, and like starlings
we peeped out several alarms,
seeing HIM, black-hoofed and
frivolous, and marked his mien
mascaraed with fickle intent.
who keeps grinning at your elbows,
who keeps whispering: “Go see
a movie instead” and keeps dripping
poison sweeter than punch: ah,
we were warned, and like starlings
we peeped out several alarms,
seeing HIM, black-hoofed and
frivolous, and marked his mien
mascaraed with fickle intent.
Give your hearts amply to virtue,
plain and simple and honest,
the puffed-out preacher coaxed,
his own heart exposed like a gift
on a handkerchief; and we did,
earnestly. There wasn’t a heart
left on earth when we cantered
home like frightened ponies but
at the door of our house sanctity
drifted back into night like an owl.
plain and simple and honest,
the puffed-out preacher coaxed,
his own heart exposed like a gift
on a handkerchief; and we did,
earnestly. There wasn’t a heart
left on earth when we cantered
home like frightened ponies but
at the door of our house sanctity
drifted back into night like an owl.