Katydid

 

In the early autumn air

As evening light is growing spare,

Up where the boughs are thick and shady

You'll start to hear the dish on Katy.

One by one, then two by two,

What Katy did or did not do.

Soon by the moonlight all the rage is

To grate the gossip of the ages.

From branch to branch and tree to tree,

Oh Katy Katy can it be?

Katy did! One half report

Katy didn't! The rest retort.

A hundred thousand prying eyes

In darkened boughs upon the skies,

Each leaf hides a gossipmonger.

Katy's weaker.  Katy's stronger!

Katy's chaste as morning dew.

Katy fell or Katy flew.

Katy's lying with her love

Somewhere in the stars above.

Katy sleeps and sleeps alone

In the ground beneath her stone.

Five billion years of life on Earth.

What is one girl's virtue worth?

Katy should or Katy shouldn't—

No one dreamed that Katy wouldn't.

With her Ben or with her Bill

Katy must and Katy will.

With her Cal or with her Ken,

It's Katy who and Katy when.

With her Sal or with her Sid—

In the end it's Katy did.

It's Katy shows and can't deny it,

Then all at once the nights are quiet.