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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
AT THE COURT-HOUSE DOOR, by ANONYMOUS First Line: No! No! I don't defend him Last Line: He hadn't gone quite so wrong Subject(s): Crimes & Criminals;guilt;innocence;judges;law & Lawyers | |||
NO! no! I don't defend him -- You needn't, sir, be afraid! Of course he's bad, and he's broke the laws, And they've got to be obeyed; But I can't help kind of thinking -- I beg your pardon, squire! -- If we had had a start like him We mightn't got much higher. "So poor?" 'T wan't that! -- 't wan't that, sir! A home may be awful bare, And keep some kind of quiet And show of comfort there; But when it's all dirt and disorder -- I never saw such a place! -- And you see folks said 't would always be, Because it was in the race; And it had been so -- that's true, sir; His father was very bad; And the poor boy looked some like him -- And 't was all against the lad; Folks wouldn't allow that anything good Could come of such a stock -- Kind folks they were, too, in everything else, But here as set as a rock. They wouldn't employ him to labor -- They didn't want him around; There were plenty of nice young fellows, That needed work, to be found. And his mother -- she was a drunkard; And that was against him, too! And so, no home, no comfort, And nothing to get to do. Oh, well! folks always expected -- His poor old father, you see -- 'T is curious how their figures And the way he went agree! But I've thought a good deal about it, And I've kind of made it out, That the way to bring up a fellow Isn't just to kick him about! I don't think much of talking, And I haven't much to say; But the better you use a creature, The more you will get to pay. And we who have had our chances, And friends to give us a lift, Won't be too hard on this one, That the town has set adrift; For if the neighbors had took to him, And tried to help him along, You see -- it may be, brother, He hadn't gone quite so wrong! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...JAKE MANN by EDGAR LEE MASTERS SIX POETS IN SEATCH OF A LAWYER by DONALD HALL ANY AND ALL by LAWRENCE JOSEPH DOMESDAY BOOK: JANE FISHER by EDGAR LEE MASTERS DOMESDAY BOOK: THE GOVERNOR by EDGAR LEE MASTERS THE LAWYERS KNOW TOO MUCH by CARL SANDBURG TIS A LITTLE JOURNEY by ANONYMOUS |
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