William Ernest Henley (1849-1903)
Madam Life's a Piece in Bloom
Largo e mesto
1 Madam Life's a piece in bloom
2 Death goes dogging everywhere:
3She's the tenant of the room,
4 He's the ruffian on the stair.
5 You shall see her as a friend,
6You shall bilk him once or twice;
7 But he'll trap you in the end,
8And he'll stick you for her price.
9With his kneebones at your chest,
10 And his knuckles in your throat,
11You would reason -- plead -- protest!
12 Clutching at her petticoat;
13 But she's heard it all before,
14Well she knows you've had your fun,
15 Gingerly she gains the door,
16And your little job is done.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: William Ernest Henley, "Echoes IX," Poems (London: Macmillan and Co., 1920): 87. PR 4783 A36 1921 Robarts Library
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 1996-2000.
Recent editing: 4:2002/4/24
Composition date:
1877
Rhyme: abab
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