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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Two Funny Poems About the Model T




In 1915 the first of two volumes about the Model T, entitled Funny Stories About the Ford, was published.74 The following are a few excerpts:





The Formula in Poetry
A little spark, a little coil,
A little gas, a little oil,
A piece of tin, a two inch board –
Put them together and you have a Ford.

The Twenty-third Psalm
The Ford is my auto; I shall not want another.
It maketh me to lie down beneath it; it soureth my soul.
It leadeth me into the paths of ridicule for its namesake.
Yea though I rife through the valleys I am towed up the hill,
For I fear much evil. Thy rods and thy engines discomfort me;
I anoint my tires with patches; my radiator boileth over;
I repair blowouts in the presence of mine enemies.
Surely, if this thing followeth me all the days of my life,
I shall dwell in the bug-house forever.




You can read much more about the Model T and its influence on American thought and culture in my The Automobile and American Life -- available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

2 comments:

  1. My dad, born 1908, recited the 4 line limerick often enough, that I retained memory of it thus:
    A little gas A little oil
    A little spark A little coil
    A piece of tin And a two inch board
    Put it together, you got a Ford
    (Nice to see confirmation and bringing back memory of my dad.)

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