Oh Lord who made our good friend Bob

January 25. 2024

Posted in:
poem

This poem was evidently about Thurston "Bob" Dart, Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge 1962 to 1964.

Oh Lord who made our good friend Bob
In most respects on the divine-side
Why didst thou make his shoes a job
for the boatbuilders on the Tyne-side.

Dost think such mighty giant-clogs
By enormity may please us
Which, towed through water-ways and bogs,
are delivered to the back of Jesus?

We do concede a firm foundation
is a 'must' for a man to lecture.
But these huge feet have no relation
to the rest of his architecture.

It's sad he looks like a circus seal,
And must go by cab or with caution.
And it's bad for an ex-maths-man we feel
to be born with a lack of 'proportion'.

Oh Lord who didst the penguin make,
that feeblest of flippered hobblers.
Didst make Bob's feet for boat-builders' sake,
Have mercy on our cobblers!