Our Baby

(The third of the Black Hole Ballads)
(With apologies to a popular song)

Everybody loves our baby but our baby loves nothing but ping-pong,
Nothing but ping-pong!
Every night he stays till five and hits the ball across the net in ping-pong
In ping-pong, ping-pong!
When the fire grows low and in blow icy winter blasts,
Johnny keeps on playing, playing, playing while the light lasts;
So everybody takes our Johnnie, throws Johnnie out into the night,
Into the night!
Everybody taunts our Baby but he does not care a jot at all,
A jot at all!
All he wants is table long and wooden bat and little celluloid ball,
Celluloid ball!
Then he crouches down in manner tense, does Johnnie Pedder,
While with the heat of battle and fire does he get redder,
Whilst everybody looks at Johnnie, Johnnie looks at nothing but the ball,
The ping-pong ball!

1925