Pragmatic
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
When young I was an Atheist,
Yea, pompous as a pigeon
No opportunity I missed
To satirize religion.
I sneered at Scripture, scoffed at Faith,
I blasphemed at believers:
Said I: "There's nothing after Death,--
Your priests are just deceivers."
In middle age I was not so
Contemptuous and caustic.
Thought I: "There's much I do not know:
I'd better be agnostic.
The hope of immortality
'Tis foolish to be flouting."
So in the end I came to be
A doubter of my doubting.
Now I am old, with steps inclined
To hesitate and falter;
I find I get such peace of mind
Just sitting by an altar.
So Friends, don't scorn the family pew,
The preachments of the kirks:
Religion may be false or true,
But by the Lord!--it works.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 15, 2023
- 41 sec read
- 60 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XAXAXBXB CDCDEFEF GHGHIJIJ |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 813 |
Words | 137 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
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"Pragmatic" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32375/pragmatic>.
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