If

IF.
223.5

If c-a-t spelt dog and cow
And horse and mouse and heaven,
If two plus two made six and nine
And twelve and eighty-seven,
If “see the man” was all there was
To learn Inside my reader,
No boy would be as bright as I,
In school I’d be the leader.

If school took up at nine and then
Let out in an hour or less.
If half of this was singing songs
And the other half reeess,
If all the days were holidays
‘Cept Christmas and Thanksgiving. I’d know what people mean who talk
About the joy of living.
-Ellis O. Jones.