Pity Richter ©

Spare a thought for Richter, for the creation of his scale
He created such a monster to describe a fault-line fail
As a magnitude in numbers provide a quick and simple guide
The greater is the number is the better you should hide

It’s really rather simple, it’s not hard to understand
The bigger is his number means the bigger shake to land
See, a one is just a gentle sway, a disaster is a nine
You’ll end up dead at one end: on the other you’ll be fine

I pity poor old Richter, would he do it all again?
His name became immortal and synonymous with pain
I’m sure that he would take it back, this thing that he created
His numbers are a constant link of how disaster should be rated

Richter is a victim too, trapped in each and every tremor
His name is always found among the casualties of terror
I’m sure, upon reflection, he’d prefer he were unknown
But cursedly, we all know him, sat upon disastrous throne

I’m sure he was a noble man: he was a wizard not a warlock
His grading of the seismic shifts that shake our very bedrock
So please don’t blame him, it’s unfair, I plead the cursing halt
The one thing that I know for sure, an earthquake’s not his fault