Spencer Heath Archive

Item 581

Slightly revised from a letter to Bennett Cerf, Saturday Review of Literature, regarding the invitation in the September 15th issue, page 28, for readers to submit original charades. In a penned letter of January 14, 1940, to his daughter Lucile, Heath enclosed this saying, “Here’s a travesty on semantics with apologies to Prof. Rudolph Carnap and a tin cup held out to the Colgate Co.” Other versions, slightly different, may be later.

 

 

SAPONISEMANTICS

Take my beginning as a constant friend in hand

     And while it lies therein I ask no alm

But that you let one other letter stand,

     And we will be together, palm in palm.

Now take my latter letters and, ignoring nought,

     Go forward and you ever live, nor life depart,

Unless you backward turn; then are you brought

     Through evil to the nothing whence you start.

This central figure of my mystic symbols nine —

     The circle of existence — love and strife —

Unites the earthly tree with life divine,

     Backward to nature’s lap, forward to life.

But, as I live, I am your ultimate demand

     For beauty bathing and assurance calm. —

You find me to your joy and pleasure planned,

     A cleansing spirit and a healing balm.

                     PALMOLIVE

 

 

 

September 18, 1945

 

To an Editor who Printed a Request for Some Original Charades

(With apologies to all sensitive semanticists)

 

Sir:

Since you so plain a bid have made

for puzzle stuff and deep charade,

you will not find it ill, I hope,

to take my tribute to a soap;

and if I scoff, as well I may,

at what semanticists pretend,

you will not hold it base, I pray,

to salve and soap them in the end.

For if a world-philosophy

bound in a single word can be,

what depths of sage and mystic lore

may they not find who con it o’er

in all the language writ or spoke

in wisdom’s name and jest or joke.

SAPONISEMANTICS

Take my beginning for a constant friend in hand

And should your friend reject the proffered alm

Then let the first of all my letters stand

And you shall firmly hold your pal in palm.

Now take my latter letters and omitting naught

Go forward and you ever live, nor life depart,

Unless you backward turn; then are you brought

Through evil to the nothing whence you start.

This central figure of my mystic symbols nine —

The circle of existence — love and strife —

Unites the earthly tree with life divine,

Backward to Nature’s lap, forward to life.

But, as I live, I am your ultimate demand

For beauty bathing and assurance calm, —

You find me to your joy and pleasure planned,

A cleansing spirit and healing balm.

 

PALMOLIVE

 

Semantically yours,

Spencer Heath