THE poor man's sins are glaring; In the face of ghostly warning He is caught in the fact Of an overt act-- Buying greens on Sunday morning. The rich man's sins are hidden In the pomp of wealth and station; And escape the sight Of the children of light Who are wise in their generation. The rich man has a kitchen And cooks to dress his dinner; The poor who would roast To the baker's must post, And thus becomes a sinner. The rich man has a cellar, And a ready butler by him; The poor must steer For his pint of beer Where the saint can't choose but spy him. The rich man's painted windows Hide the concerts of the quality; The poor can but share A cracked fiddle in the air, Which offends all sound morality. The rich man is invisible In the erowd of his gay society; But the poor man's delight Is a sore in the sight, And a stench in the nose of piety. The rich man has a carriage Where no rude eye cam flout him; The poor man's bane Is a third-class train, With the daylight all about him. The rich man goes out yachting, Where sanctity can't pursue him; The poor man goes afloat In a fourpenny boat, Where the bishop groans to view him. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MIDSUMMER FROST (1) by ISAAC ROSENBERG HOLY POEMS: 3 by GEORGE BARKER BLACK SHEEP by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON THE ORGAN GRINDER by RONALD WALKER BARR TO MR. BLEECKER, ON HIS PASSAGE TO NEW YORK by ANN ELIZA BLEECKER A NEW PILGRIMAGE: 13 by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT THE WATERS OF LETHE by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE THE ABIDING BURG (DEDICATION: TO THE SMALL TOWNS OF CHRISTENDOM) by WILFRED ROWLAND CHILDE |