10.19.2003

Shanna Compton, whose endearing blog is new to me, and who must be deeply caught up in the incredibly rich and flavorful ongoing debate between the School of Fromagitude and the Avant-Gouda, forwarded me this important poem:

Ode on the Mammoth Cheese
Weighing over 7,000 pounds


We have seen the, queen of cheese,
Lying quietly at your ease,
Gently fanned by evening breeze,
Thy fair form no flies dare seize.


All gaily dressed soon you’ll go
To the great Provincial show,
To be admired by many a beau
In the city of Toronto.


Cows numerous as a swarm of bees,
Or as the leaves upon the trees,
It did require to make thee please,
And stand unrivalled, queen of cheese.


May you not receive a scare as
We have heard that Mr. Harris
Intends to send you off as far as
The great world’s show at Paris.


Of the youth beware of these,
For some of them might rudely squeeze
And bite your cheek, then songs or glees
We could not sing, oh! queen of cheese.


We’rt thou suspended from balloon,
You’d case a shade even at noon
Folks would think it was the moon
About to fall and crush them soon.


James McIntyre (1827-1906)


Somehow I feel the soft texture & delicate aroma of this poem will have an appetizing effect on the whole prix fixe perplexity.

2 comments:

Sarah Sarai said...

I read this poem thinking that Shanna Compton had WRITTEN it. I admired, though perhaps in truth I didn't JUST admire but felt various attitudes demanding a hearing. And then I see Shanna is not the head cheese. Ah well.

Sarah Sarai

Henry Gould said...

Shanna has what we in advanced neurology call a "cheese mind". Very rare and important! She's the head cheese of something, all right!