Life, 1923-03-15 · page 5 of 36
Life — March 15, 1923 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The Race" (poem by P.W.M.):** A whimsical piece imagining the narrator racing the moon while on a train, with both competitors evenly matched despite passing cows, trees, and towns. The tie ending is lighthearted fantasy. **"Erin" cartoon (bottom):** Shows a woman holding a torch facing a soldier with a rifle. The caption reads: "It's not for me you're fighting—it's my shadow!" This likely references **Irish independence struggles**, with Erin (personification of Ireland) suggesting that the soldier fights not for Ireland herself but for her "shadow"—perhaps British imperialism, colonial authority, or abstract political forces rather than genuine Irish interests. The satire critiques the disconnect between stated military purposes and actual power dynamics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
2 ae The Race HE moon and I, we ran a race When I was on the train And as we sailed along through space We watched each other's breathless face And rushed as fast again. We passed a thousand cows and trees The moon and I raced pantingly And left the brooks behind us, Till I got off, and I The-fences ran with trembling knees, Had quite kept up with her, but she The towns flew like a swarm of bees, Had all the time kept up with me, _ But they will never find us! And so it was a tie. get Boe. n Vv. Ww. M. Erin: It’s not for me you're fighting—it’s my shadow! comicbooks.com