Batterson Dobyns
Edgar Lee Masters 1868 (Garnett) – 1950 (Elkins Park)
Did my widow flit about
From Mackinac to Los Angeles,
Resting and bathing and sitting an hour
Or more at the table over soup and meats
And delicate sweets and coffee?
I was cut down in my prime
From overwork and anxiety.
But I thought all along, whatever happens
I've kept my insurance up,
And there's something in the bank,
And a section of land in Manitoba.
But just as I slipped I had a vision
In a last delirium:
I saw myself lying nailed in a box
With a white lawn tie and a boutonnière,
And my wife was sitting by a window
Some place afar overlooking the sea;
She seemed so rested, ruddy and fat,
Although her hair was white.
And she smiled and said to a colored waiter:
"Another slice of roast beef, George.
Here's a nickel for your trouble."
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 44 sec read
- 56 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABCDEFEGHIJKLMENEOPCQR |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 737 |
Words | 146 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 22 |
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"Batterson Dobyns" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 Oct. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/8519/batterson-dobyns>.
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