StanzasOnNaething

stanzasonnaething

extemporeepistletogavinhamilton,esq.

toyou,sir,thissummonsi'vesent,

pray,whiptillthepownieisfreathing;

butifyoudemandwhatiwant,

ihonestlyansweryou—naething.

ne'erscornapoorpoetlikeme,

foridlyjustlivingandbreathing,

whilepeopleofeverydegree

arebusyemployedabout—naething.

poorcentum-per-centummayfast,

andgrumblehishurdiestheirclaithing,

he'llfind,whenthebalanceiscast,

he'sganetothedevilfor-naething.

thecourtiercringesandbows,

ambitionhaslikewiseitsplaything;

acoronetbeamsonhisbrows;

andwhatisacoronet-naething.

somequarrelthepresbytergown,

somequarrelepiscopalgraithing;

buteverygoodfellowwillown

theirquarrelisa'about—naething.

thelovermaysparkleandglow,

approachinghisboniebitgaything:

butmarriagewillsoonlethimknow

he'sgotten—abuskitupnaething.

thepoetmayjingleandrhyme,

inhopesofalaureatewreathing,

andwhenhehaswastedhistime,

he'skindlyrewardedwi'—naething.

thethunderingbullymayrage,

anderandswearlikeaheathen;

butcollarhimfast,i'llengage,

you'llfindthathiscourageis—naething.

lastnightwi'afemininewhig—

apoetshecouldnaputfaithin;

butsoonwegrewlovinglybig,

itaughther,herterrorswerenaething.

herwhigshipwaswonderfulpleased,

butcharminglytickledwi'aething,

herfingersilovinglysqueezed,

andkissedher,andpromisedher—naething.

thepriestanathemasmaythreat—

predicament,sir,thatwe'rebaithin;

butwhenhonour'sreveilleisbeat,

theholyartillery'snaething.

andnowimustmountonthewave—

myvoyageperhapsthereisdeathin;

butwhatisawaterygrave?

thedrowningapoetisnaething.