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Poem by Andrew Barton Paterson


The Dam that Keele Built


This is the dam that Keele built. 
This is the stream that brought the water to fill the dam that Keele built; 
This is the Water and Sewer Brigade, 
That measured the stream that brought the water to fill the dam that Keele built; 

This is the Engineer by Trade -- 
Head of the Water and Sewer Brigade, 
Who measured the stream that brought the water to fill the dam that Keele built; 

These are the Calculations made 
By the Eminent Engineer by Trade, 
Head of the Water and Sewer Brigade, 
Who measured the stream that brought the water to fill the dam that Keele built; 

This is the scornful Mr Wade, 
Who sneered at the Calculations made 
By the Eminent Engineer by Trade, 
Head of the Water and Sewer Brigade, 
Who measured the stream that brought the water to fill the dam that Keele built; 

This is the Minister quite dismayed 
At the sight of the Scornful Mr Wade, 
Who sneered at the Calculations made 
By the Eminent Engineer by Trade, 
Head of the Water and Sewer Brigade, 
Who measured the stream that brought the water to fill the dam that Keele built; 

This is the Sydneyite afraid 
That a serious blunder will be made, 
Because of the Minister, quite dismayed 
At the sight of the Scornful Mr Wade, 
Who sneered at the Calculations made 
By the Eminent Engineer by Trade, 
Head of the Water and Sewer Brigade, 
Who measured the stream that brought the water to fill the dam that Keele built.



Andrew Barton Paterson


Andrew Barton Paterson's other poems:
  1. A Grain of Desert Sand
  2. That Half-Crown Sweep
  3. Under the Shadow of Kiley’s Hill
  4. White Cockatoos
  5. Song of the Artesian Water


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