Infirmities
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
Because my teeth are feebly few
I cannot bolt my grub like you,
But have to chew and chew and chew
As you can see;
Yet every mouthful seems so good
I would not haste it if I could,
And so I salivate my food
With ecstasy.
Because my purse is poor in pence
I spend my dough with common-sense,
And live without the least pretence
In simple state;
The things I can't afford to buy
Might speed the day I have to die,
So pleased with poverty am I
And bless my fate.
Because my heart is growing tired,
No more by foolish passion fired,
Nor by ambitious hope inspired,
As in my youth,
I am content to sit and rest,
And prove the last of life's the best,
And ponder with a cheerful zest
Some saintly truth.
Because I cannot do the things
I used to, comfort round me clings,
And from the moil of market brings
Me rich release;
So welcome age with tranquil mind;
Even infirmities are kind,
And in our frailing we may find
Life's crown of peace.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 56 sec read
- 101 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AAABCCXBDDBEFFFE GGGHIIIH JJJKLLLK |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 982 |
Words | 185 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 16, 8, 8 |
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"Infirmities" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32186/infirmities>.
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