Some Lines on Occultation

The acting Government astronomer Mr C. J. Merfield, F.R.A.S., states that an interesting celestial phenomenon will take place this evening. The planet Jupiter and his satellite system will be occulted or obscured by the moon, as seen from the earth.

Old Planet Jupe,
Who loops the loop
On his celestial faring,
Will shortly be
Quite hard to see;
And yet, I am not caring.
Such cosmic things
As stars and rings
May entertain some scholar,
And yet, I hold,
They leave me cold,
Such things I do not “foller.”

The price of meat,
Too little heat.
A ton of coal will bring me,
The change, alas,
For cooking-gas—
These are the things that sting me.
Old Jupe may roam
Behind the moon
Be very coyly hiding;
But I don’t care
howe'er he fare.
Such things are not abiding—

Nay, not with us
Who fret and fuss
About the scheme of living,
And through the day
Plan out some way
Of spending, lending, giving.
These cosmic schemes
Seem like vague dreams
To folk who haven’t any
Too much gold—
It leaves me cold,
When eggs are up a penny.

Well, let it go!
We never know
What Jupiter is doing
Behind the moon
As hiding soon
And that may spell blue “ruing”
For all us folk.
It’s just a joke
The gods are planning for us.
One ne'er can tell.
For I know well
The high gods just ignore us.

So time goes on
We pour upon
Our politicians’ speeches;
We go to shows
And, goodness knows,
Some actresses are peaches.
And this, I vow,
Is sure enow
The silliest of rhyming.
But I don’t care
How Jupe may fare,
THE PRICE OF EGGS IS CLIMB-
ING.