K’shoo [poem by C. J. Dennis]

[Editor: This poem by C. J. Dennis was published in Backblock Ballads and Later Verses (1918).]

K’shoo

(A Rhybe wridded for The Gadfly)

Whed your dose is code as barble,
Ad you sduffle all the day,
Ad your head id is behavig
Id a bost unbleased way;
When your ev’ry joid is achig
With a very paidful cramb,
When your throat is dry ad tiglish,
Ad your feed are code ad damb;
When your eyes are red ad rudding
With the dears thad will cub oud;
You cad safely bake your bind ub
There is very liddle doubd.

You’ve got a code — a code —
Ad idfluedzal code;
You cahd tell how you coughd id,
But id’s a got a good firb hode.
Your face is whide, your eyes are pigk,
Your dose is red ad blue;
Ad you wish that you were —
Ah — Ah — Ah — h — Kish — SHOO-O-O!

I dode wad to be a boed,
Ad I do nod log for fabe,
But I have to wride to get by bread
Ad budder, all the sabe.
Id is very aggravadig,
Ad this world is very hard
Whed the idfluenza fasteds
Od a sendadendal bard.
Oh, I caddod sig of subber skies!
I caddod twag by lyre!
For all the buses id the world
Are powerless to idspire.

I’ve got a code — a code —
A bost udpleased code;
I caddod sig a sog ob sprig,
I caddod bake ad ode.
For inspirashud will nod cub:
I’b feelig very blue;
Oh, would that I was —
Ah — Ah — Ah — h — Kish — SHOO-O-O!

I have to wride adother verse,
Ad dode doe whad to say;
But I’ve got to buy some bedicid
To drive this code away;
Oh, the boed’s is a hard, hard life,
His lod is very sore;
Ad if bisfortude cubs to hib,
He has to toil the bore.
And dow, I thig I’ve bade enough.
By wridig this last verse,
To go ad buy byself sub stuff
Before by code gets worse.

I’ve got a code — a code —
Ad agravatig code!
If I was well I’d wride you such
A charbig liddle ode.
I’d sig of labkins od the sward,
Bedeath the skies so blue,
If it wasn’d for the
Ah — Ah — Ah — h — Kish — SHOO-O-O!

Source:
C. J. Dennis, Backblock Ballads and Later Verses, Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1918, pages 135-137