There was an old country that swallowed some wood;
We should recall it had loads of wood!
It swallowed the wood to catch the coal,
It swallowed the coal to catch the steel,
It swallowed the steel to catch the oil,
It swallowed the oil to catch more coal,
It swallowed more coal to create The Cloud,
That squiggled and jiggled and tickled its crowds.

It swallowed The Cloud to catch AI;
I don’t know why it swallowed AI – perhaps it’ll die

#energyTransition

…There was an old country that shat on its work force.
It’s screwed, of course

- - -

Props to Burl Ives
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Was_an_Old_Lady_Who_Swallowed_a_Fly

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly - Wikipedia

…There are lots of versions of the Burl Ives song, but this one has resonance because it was animated and produced in the year of my birth, 1964 (by the National Film Board of Canada).

And I’ve been catching flies while cycling since the mid 70s. No horses swallowed yet

🐮 🐷 🐐 🐶 🐱 🐦🕷️ 🪰 🐴 💀

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjK4pnbW-6o

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

YouTube

…The Muppets version is pretty good too 🐸

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC_xO2aN_IA

JUDY COLLINS - "Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly" Muppet Show 1977

YouTube
@urlyman I didn't think anything could make me love Judy Collins more, but that did it.
@urlyman ah … Burl Ives! Now I remember: we had a childrens' music LP by Ives! Oh, that cheerful voice! #earworm

@urlyman

I have a feeling that Pete Seeger would approve! 😂

@5ciFiGirl gosh, high praise! thank you :)

@urlyman

Some of my earliest memories are of listening to a Pete Seeger tape of children's songs. So i couldnt help but hear this in his voice. And it seemed very fitting! 😎

@urlyman @Dianora … about this poem: it's set to the music of a childrens' ditty:

🎼 There was an old woman
🎶 who swallowed a spider … perhaps she'll die.

In case that helps. 😂

@urlyman Hello How are you doing
@urlyman “Your rhyme feels like a warning wrapped in poetry — progress chasing progress until we forget what truly matters. I hope we learn to grow wisely instead of consuming endlessly.”
@offelia Thanks Ofelia. Me too. I have a hunch we’ll learn the hard way, but I’m doing what I can to flatten the scree slope