Poem: "Votes for Women"

This poem would have made a great vaudeville skit!

“Votes for Women”

“Wha’s all that noise?” The captain asked

The mate stood by, a-grinnin;

“It’s female women, sir,” he said,

“They’re shoutin’ ‘Votes for Women.’”

“A curse upon them mate” said he,

And sent his wheel a-spinnin,

“Whoever  heard of such a thing

As givin’ votes to women?”

“Go down there,” he commanded,

“An’ clear the bloomin’ cabin.

We’ll ‘ave no blarsted meeting here,

Or cries of ‘Votes for Women.’”

When mate returned he was a sight,

Skirts covered the underpinnin’,

While on his back he wore a sign:

“We’re After Votes for Women.”

The captain quailed before the gaze

Of fifty angry women,

Then quickly dove into the sea,

Where they say he’s still a-swimmin’

Now the moral is, be not too gay

When “knockin”  “Votes for Women,”

For a woman’s wrath is not a thing

At which you should be grinning.