I take my title from "The Strange Case of Mr. Fortague's Disappointment" which I quote here in the earnest hope it isn't under copyright. It is one of my favorite poems, for reasons which I have never been able to adequately articulate. Something about not taking yourself too seriously, maybe?
THE STRANGE CASE OF MR. FORTAGUES
DISAPPOINTMENT
by Ogden Nash
Once upon a time there was a man named Mr. Lionel
Fortague.
~
He didn't have very much to talk about.
~
In summer he used to ask people if it was hot enough
for them.
~
It always was.
~
In winter he used to ask people if it was cold enough
for them.
~
It always was.
~
Mr. Lionel Fortague got pretty sick of people it was
hot enough for.
~
He got pretty sick of people it was cold enough for, too.
~
He decided he would arise and go now;
~
He decided he would go to Innisfree.
~
The people of Innisfree are different, thought Mr
Lionel Fortague.
As soon as he got to Innisfree he asked the people if
it was cold enough for them.
~
They asked him What? Was what cold enough for who?
~
Mr. Lionel Fortague was delighted.
~
I knew Innisfree would be different, he said to himself.
~
He could hardly wait for summer to verify his conclusion.
~
As soon as summer came he asked everybody if it was
hot enough for them.
~
Everybody said the question was familiar but they
couldn't remember the answer.
Mr. Lionel Fortague said he would settle down on
Innisfree, the home of iridescent chitchat.
~
He said he would a small cabin build there, of clay and
wattles made.
~
Everybody said did he mean he would build a small
cabin there, made of clay and wattles.
~
Mr. Lionel Fortague said yes, but his way of putting
it was more poetic.
~
Everybody said maybe, but they were all out of wattles.
Mr. Lionel Fortague grew very angry at the people of Innisfree.
~
He a small cabin built there, of clay and beaverboard
made.
~
He a fierce-looking dog at an annual clearance sale
bought, and it the people of Innisfree one by one
to bite he instructed.
~
My, he was disappointed.
~
He had forgotten that a bargain dog never bites.
---
Post edited to include the poet's name.
