Poem by the Norwegian writer Arnulf Øverland

Little Adam

Little Adam’s great big noddle

soars up on his stem-like neck.

He’s been praised: His dancing’s soulful!

Adam’s does a stiff-legged, doleful

waltz as serious as heck

and is ill at ease as model.

Now the ladies do the asking.

Adam’s spared all overtasking.

Sits midst empty chairs, though ready,

sees his friends go past him twirling.

Long-limbed Len’s got Constance whirling,

four are fighting over Freddy!

Lonely Adam walks from there,

dancing lesson learnt already.

Some get four, some five ensnare,

some get one, and some get no one –

there’s clean sweeps and there’s misère.

All of life’s small stars so wilful

failed his path to once traverse.

Now he wants to go back home and

pen his first few lines of verse.

(1911)

To see the original, go to here