Life, 1924-08-14 · page 5 of 36
Life — August 14, 1924 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a poem by Marc Connelly accompanying a satirical illustration. A man sits by a fireplace smoking a pipe, and the smoke forms a large pipe-shaped bubble containing six female heads—representing women from his past or imagination. The poem is nostalgic, romantic satire: the bachelor recalls various women (Bessie, Kate, Flosey, Carrie, Jenny, Tess, and Cassie) as idealized memories. However, the final lines mock his reverie—his pipe is "out" and the "faces fade," suggesting these romantic visions are merely fleeting fantasies. He resignedly bids them goodnight while sitting alone by the fire. The joke is on the bachelor's self-delusion: his romantic memories are literally just smoke.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Pipe Dreams or A Bachelor's Reverie GE me a pipe and the fire's red glow, And let me dream a spell, And think of the girls 1 used to know, Who in my memory dwell Red-cheeked Bessie, and pretty Kate With eyes like violets Prue: Flossy, with whom I used to skate, And lovely Carrie, too. Jolly Nell whom | taught to swim, Tess with her auburn hair (I had a friend and Tess chose him Ere my love I could declare). Laughing Jenny, who sang so sweet In the days that now are gone; Cassie, with feet and hands petite, And neck like a graceful swan, But my pipe is out and the faces fade And drift away in the gloam. I say good night to each pretty maid And sit by the fire alone. Old Towser growls as a teardrop falls And offers a friendly paw, But my thoughts are afar in Memory’s Halls— And blah and blah and blah. Marc Connelly comicbooks.com