TATI’s & TONY’s DEAD POET TOUR // The Quest of the Purple Cow by Hilda Johnson

He girded on his shining sword,
He clad him in his suit of mail,
He gave his friends the parting word,
With high resolve his face was pale.
They said, “You’ve kissed the Papal Toe,
To great Moguls you’ve made your bow,
Why will you thus world-wandering go?”
“I never saw a purple cow!”

“I never saw a purple cow!
Oh, hinder not my wild emprise,
Let me depart! For even now
Perhaps, before some yokel’s eyes
The purpling creature dashes by,
Bending its noble, horned brow.
They see its glowing charms, but I,
I never saw a purple cow!”

“But other cows there be,” they said,
“Both cows of high and low degree,
Suffolk and Devon, brown, black, red,
The Ayrshire and the Alderney.
Content yourself with these.” “No, no,”
He cried, “Not these! Not these! For how
Can common kine bring comfort? Oh!
I never saw a purple cow!”

He flung him to his charger’s back,
He left his kindred limp and weak,
They cried: “He goes, alack! alack!
The unattainable to seek.”
But westward still he rode, pardee!
The West! Where such freaks be; I vow,
I’d not be much surprised if he
Should some day see
A
Purple
Cow!

by HILDA JOHNSON (?-?)
Public Domain Poetry

14 thoughts on “TATI’s & TONY’s DEAD POET TOUR // The Quest of the Purple Cow by Hilda Johnson”

  3. Purple Cows apparently quite popular in nonsense poetry, as evidenced by Gelett Burgess’s poem:
    “I never saw a Purple Cow,
    I never hope to see one;
    But I can tell you, anyhow,
    I’d rather see than be one.”
    And the subsequent follow up:
    “Ah, yes, I wrote the “Purple Cow”—
    I’m Sorry, now, I wrote it;
    But I can tell you Anyhow
    I’ll Kill you if you Quote it!”

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

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