Saint Peter
Henry Lawson 1867 (Grenfell) – 1922 (Sydney)
Now, I think there is a likeness 'twixt St Peter's life and mine
For he did a lot of trampin' long ago in Palestine
He was 'union' when the workers first began to organize
And I'm glad that old St Peter keeps the gate of Paradise
When the ancient agitator and his brothers carried swags
I've no doubt he very often tramped with empty tucker-bags
And I'm glad he's Heaven's picket, for I hate explainin' things
And he'll think a union ticket just as good as Whitely King's
When I reach the great head-station -which is somewhere 'off the track'
I won't want to talk with angels who have never been out back
They might bother me with offers of a banjo meanin' well
And a pair of wings to fly with, when I only want a spell
I'll just ask for old St Peter, and I think, when he appears
I will only have to tell him that I carried swag for years
'I've been on the track,' I'll tell him, 'an' I done the best I could'
And he'll understand me better than the other angels would
He won't try to get a chorus out of lungs that's worn to rags
Or to graft the wings on shoulders that is stiff with humpin' swags
But I'll rest about the station where the work-bell never rings
Till they blow the final trumpet and the Great Judge sees to things.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:17 min read
- 86 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AABX BCDD EEFF GGHH CBDD |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic octameter |
Characters | 1,226 |
Words | 243 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Saint Peter" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/17906/saint-peter>.
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