Earthquakes and Brainstorms

Boston's spring crop of earthquakes has excited the envy and jealousy of the Californians and Japanese. With the assurance of geologists that Boston is to have bigger and better earthquakes in the near future the Far West and the Far East fear that the flow of post-earthquake gold will be diverted to New England. They also fear the effects of the earthquake spirit upon American literature. The long awaited renaissance or more properly, naissance of American poetry has depended upon just such a shaking up.

Already poets are springing up on all sides, each species composing "after his own kind", just as was predicted in the Scriptures. It may turn out as Emerson suspected, that "there are no common men". The Jester, simple fellow that he is, writes a rhyme "To a Playful Earthquake":

Quake on, old Earth, quake on!

When'er the spirit moves, Quake on!

What though we're jolted from our grooves?

What though we're quiet-loving folks?

What though we shudder at your jokes?

What though we beg and plead and coax?

Never you mind!

Quake on!

Quake on, old Earth, quake on!

For terra firma's firm no more!

Quake on!

It's true we're frightened to the core;