Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE IRON WORKER, by MAURICE BROWN KIRBY


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE IRON WORKER, by                    
First Line: We've heard about the sojer an' his gun
Last Line: An' his motto often gits him in a gang.
Subject(s): Labor & Laborers; Work; Workers


We've heard about the sojer an' his gun,
We've heard about the farmer an' his plough,
We've heard about the sailor an' his fun,
We've heard about the cowboy an' his cow;
Now, as long as singin' heroes is the style,
An' if no one takes exception to my rhyme,
I'll have a bit to say, in a humble sort o' way,
On a hero who's been workin' overtime.

The song he sings is "Clang! clang! clang!"
The tune he plays is "Bang! bang! bang!"
His motto is "We're killed; but we seldom ever die."
An' his motto often gits him in a gang.

Did you ever see him settin' on a beam,
With nothin' to grab hold of but the air,
So fur above yer head it made him seem
Like a crazy kid that wouldn't take a dare?
Did you ever pause to think about the risk,
How Death is always glarin' in his face? --
Just contemplate a bit an', I'll bet yer, you'll admit
A battlefield's a durn sight safer place.

He doesn't wear no purty stripes nor bars,
We haven't struck a medal for him yet,
His only decorations is his scars,
He's a hero that the public never met.
When his motto comes an' ketches him for good,
An' rubs his number off the pay-day list,
There's a husky, sun-browned mob standin' by to take his job,
An', bar his wife an' kids, he's never missed.
The daily papers have a lot to say
On the nervy cops an' firemen 'round the city,
O' how they risk their lives most every day
An' very often lose 'em, more's the pity;
But a little histin' injine on a spree
Is bad as any fire as ever raged,
An' there's more black, willful murder in a careless swingin' girder
Than in any thug the coppers ever caged.
So when you've had yer song an' drink an' shout,
An' every single hero's got his due,
When ye're scatterin' the laurel wreath about;
If you chance to have a extry leaf or two,
An' ye're lookin' for a hero sure enough,
A sojer man in Progress' foremost ranks,
Crown the man who builds our vessels, bridges, buildin's, towers an' trestles,
Grasp his hand, drink his health, an' give him thanks.

The song he sings is "Clang! clang! clang!"
The tune he plays is "Bang! bang! bang!"
His motto is "We're killed; but we seldom ever die."
An' his motto often gits him in a gang.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net