Let Me Die a Youngman's Death



Let me die a youngman's death
not a clean and inbetween
the sheets holywater death
not a famous-last-words
peaceful out of breath death

When I'm 73
and in constant good tumour
may I be mown down at dawn
by a bright red sports car
on my way home
from an allnight party

Or when I'm 91
with silver hair
and sitting in a barber's chair
may rival gangsters
with hamfisted tommyguns burst in
and give me a short back and insides

Or when I'm 104
and banned from the Cavern
may my mistress
catching me in bed with her daughter
and fearing for her son
cut me up into little pieces
and throw away every piece but one

Let me die a youngman's death
not a free from sin tiptoe in
candle wax and waning death
not a curtains drawn by angels borne
'what a nice way to go' death
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Submitted by RobertHaigh on July 08, 2020

Modified on May 03, 2023

46 sec read
2,029

Quick analysis:

Scheme Abaxa cdbdxx cddxbx cbxdbxb Ababa
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 733
Words 150
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 5, 6, 6, 7, 5

Roger McGough

Roger McGough was born in Liverpool and educated at St Mary's College and the University of Hull. He has been a writer for many years, and his numerous collections have established him as one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in contemporary poetry. more…

All Roger McGough poems | Roger McGough Books

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    "Let Me Die a Youngman's Death" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/53911/let-me-die-a-youngman's-death>.

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