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First Old Man
HE threw his crutched stick down: there came | |
| Into his face the anger flame, | |
| And he spoke viciously of one | |
| Who thwarted him—his son’s son. | |
| He turned his head away.—“I hate | 5 |
| Absurdity of language, prate | |
| From growing fellows. We’d not stay | |
| About the house the whole of a day | |
| When we were young, | |
| Keeping no job and giving tongue! | 10 |
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| “Not us in troth! We would not come | |
| For bit or sup, but stay from home | |
| If we gave answers, or we’d creep | |
| Back to the house, and in we’d peep | |
| Just like a corncrake. | 15 |
| |
| “My grandson and his comrades take | |
| A piece of coal from you, from me | |
| A log, or sod of turf, maybe; | |
| And in some empty place they’ll light | |
| A fire, and stay there all night, | 20 |
| A wisp of lads! Now understand | |
| The blades of grass under my hand | |
| Would be destroyed by company! | |
| There’s no good company: we go | |
| With what is lowest to the low! | 25 |
| He stays up late, and how can he | |
| Rise early? Sure he lags in bed, | |
| And she is worn to a thread | |
| With calling him—his grandmother. | |
| She’s an old woman, and she must make | 30 |
| Stir when the birds are half awake | |
| In dread he’d lose this job like the other!” | |
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Second Old Man
“They brought yon fellow over here, | |
| And set him up for an overseer: | |
| Though men from work are turned away | 35 |
| That thick-necked fellow draws full pay— | |
| Three pounds a week…. They let burn down | |
| The timber yard behind the town | |
| Where work was good; though firemen stand | |
| In boots and brasses big and grand | 40 |
| The crow of a cock away from the place. | |
| And with the yard they let burn too | |
| The clock in the tower, the clock I knew | |
| As well as I know the look in my face.” | |
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Third Old Man
“The fellow you spoke of has broken his bounds— | 45 |
| He came to skulk inside of these grounds: | |
| Behind the bushes he lay down | |
| And stretched full hours in the sun. | |
| He rises now, and like a crane | |
| He looks abroad. He’s off again: | 50 |
| Three pounds a week, and still he owes | |
| Money in every street he goes, | |
| Hundreds of pounds where we’d not get | |
| The second shilling of a debt.” | |
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First Old Man
“Old age has every impediment | 55 |
| Vexation and discontent; | |
| The rich have more than we: for bit | |
| The cut of bread, and over it | |
| The scrape of hog’s lard, and for sup | |
| Warm water in a cup. | 60 |
| But different sorts of feeding breaks | |
| The body more than fasting does | |
| With pains and aches. | |
| |
| “I’m not too badly off, for I | |
| Have pipe and tobacco, a place to lie, | 65 |
| A nook to myself; but from my hand | |
| Is taken the strength to back command— | |
| I’m broken, and there’s gone from me | |
| The privilege of authority.” | |
| |
| I heard them speak— | 70 |
| The old men heavy on the sod, | |
| Letting their angers come | |
| Between them and the thought of God. | |
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