Cricket the Critic

Now August rolls around
And the kids try to impress
Homer tried for football
Polly tried for chess

A sittin' in the grandstand
Was a noisy kid with sneers
A pokin' fun at one and all
Far short of any cheers

Now he was so annoying
A thumpin' noisy jeers
Some called him "chirping Cricket"
Others thought he hid his fears

Rumor he came from another school
And something had slowly healed
He'd been a sport of some sort
But was hurt on a playing field

He bellowed aloud
"Homer, you're fat"
Ha! "Polly lost all of her pawns"
And left the rabbit in the hat

But slowly, they improved
And Polly earned a ring
Homer blocked a field goal
Polly trapped the King

Finally prom had come
And Cricket slurped the bowl
Never one to miss the stage
He finally bared his soul

"I know you didn't like me
Amidst the poke and pan"
"But admit I made you better
I was your biggest fan"

The War had come
And the kids all scattered
Homer drove a tank
Polly nursed bodies shattered

Word said Cricket was in England
Maybe full of preen and prance
But in early June of '44
Our Cricket jumped into France