The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

47
Lo there what mixed conditions run!
The orphan lad; the widow's son;
And Fortune's favored care--
The wealthy born, for whom she hath
Macadamized the future path--
The nabob's pampered heir!
Some brightly starred--some evil born--
For honor some, and some for scorn--
For fair or foul renown!
Good, bad, indifferent--none they lack!
Look, here's a white, and there's a black!
And there's a creole brown!
Some laugh and sing, some mope and weep,
And wish THEIR frugal sires would keep
Their only sons at home;--
Some tease the future tense, and plan
The full-grown doings of the man,
And pant for years to come!
A foolish wish! There's one at hoop;
And four at FIVES! and five who stoop
The marble taw to speed!
And one that curvets in and out,
Reining his fellow-cob about,
Would I were in his STEED!
Yet he would gladly halt and drop
That boyish harness off, to swop
With this world's heavy van--
To toil, to tug. O little fool!
While thou can be a horse at school
To wish to be a man!
Perchance thou deem'st it were a thing
To wear a crown--to be a king!
And sleep on regal down!
Alas! thou know'st not kingly cares;
Far happier is thy head that wears
That hat without a crown!