Victoria College Students' Carnival. Friday, 20th June, 1919
Imperfect Peace
Imperfect Peace.
"And the earth was filled with violence."
All: Three doughty moderns here you see—
Japhetrow's Peace Society—
Embarked as Henry Ford might be—
Our Ark a model Tin-lizzie ! (Honk! Honk!)
Shem: The Bolsheviks were out to smash!
Ham: The horrible Hun to biff and bash!
Japh.: I'll keep an eye upon the cash!
All: Japhetrow's Peace Society.
Japh.: My father sailed the "Mayflower" Tub,
Ham: His great, grandfather kept a Pub;
Shem: His earlier forebears used the Club
To keep the peace 'f antiquity.
Japh.: Ah, man. they were pugnacious men!
They taught Japhetrow that the pen
Would never keep (while men were men)
The world safe for Democracy!
Ham: The war is over! now I'll gorge
Myself in spoil till you may forge
From Teuton Ham a Tab-loid George!
All: Behold rewarded piety!
Ham: My resolution's undestroyed,
Intentions all quite unalloyed,—
Yet I've inside an aching void
Unfilled by this society!
Shem: Now pray, dear people, don't assume
We disagree, if our new broom
Does not sweep well, but strews the room
With severed straws—
All: Quite litterly!
Shem: If 'neath the Turkish carpets fall
Some dynamite—it's naught—for all
That matters, is this: that we sweep!
All: The war god weeps most bitterly!
All: Three modern Peacemakers behold!
We'll keep the peace till we grow old,
And when the stone on us is rolled
We leave the Peace Society!
Shem: Have we, of life, think you, long lease?
Ham: Never till Peace Societies cease!
Japh.: Though we're Society more than Peace!
All: Still it's a great Society!