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GOD BLESS MR. METRE

God bless Mr. Metre
For each measure and each weight.
We thank him for metrology,
All rise, proclaim him great.

It means the science of measurement.
It's vital for each nation,
For trade and commerce, for modern science, Indeed, for civilization.

Its matchless value let's assess -
Then you too will avow -
For two and half a minute
To the second, starting now.

I traveled for a moment, or
Perhaps for just a few,
To a world without metrology,
And stayed a year, or two.

No means to measure volume
Or length or height or time,
Standards were unheard of,
Calibration was a crime.

A speaker rose for an address
At dawn, one day in June,
As promised, he was typically brief,
And spoke 'till well past noon.

A plane was due - 'twas something new -
Well, what a situation;
They built a splendid runway
With no specification.

Without a measuring standard,
They didn't know what to do,
So, to be sure, they built a strip
From Maine to Timbuktu.

A man called on the telephone
To a hardware store downtown -
It's a world without metrology,
Don't think that he's a clown.

A piece of lumber was required,
And brother, would you know?
He said, with proud assurance,
"Please, I need a piece long so."

And though they drove quite swiftly,
Not a road hog was within it,
The world without metrology,
For there was no speed limit.

So GOD bless Mr. Metre -
Ever priceless in reality -
For accurate weights and measures,
Yes, give thanks for metrology.

Without it, who'd know what's in store;
I could stand and speak forevermore.
So give thanks for metrology
For telling us the score.

I'm absolutely sure you will -
Yes, each and everyone -
Thank GOD for Mr. Metre,
For now, my time is done.

Sylvanus Barnes
© January 2003