Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, CONTENTMENT, by WALT MASON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CONTENTMENT, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Contentment isn't often seen where men
Last Line: Buy a glad, contented heart.
Subject(s): Contentment


CONTENTMENT isn't often seen where men have bundles of long green. The more a
man requires, it seems, the more does worry haunt his dreams, and every
millionaire I know looks like a cheap tintype of woe. I have a friend who once
was broke; then he considered life a joke; he filled the air with gladsome song,

and no one laughed so loud or long. It was a joy to meet him then; he was a
tonic to sad men. But fortune slipped around, by stealth, and loaded him with
unearned wealth. He comes to see me now and then—I wish he'd never come
again—and talks so much of dole and gloom, of properties that ceased to
boom, of plants requiring ready cash, investments which have gone kersmash, the

grief that capital endures, the grief no legislature cures—he talks so much

along this line, and puts up such a bitter whine, that when he leaves my humble

door my feet are chilled, my heart is sore. Your wealth will buy a lot of
things; all kinds of luxuries it brings, but you can't take it to the mart, and

buy a glad, contented heart.





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