DOWN GRADE
Yes, boy, I know—you do not think;You only hear the glasses clinkAnd feel the bogus joy of drink.Life looks all Summer through a glass;The whisky road is green with grass—But life and Summer both will pass.It’s easy now to drink or not,To drink a little or a lot;But after all your drinking, what?May it not happen ere the graveThe thing you laugh at you will crave?—The master will become the slave?God! I have seen them: Boys like you,The frolickers of fighting crew,Who never thought and never knew,Who took the road that dips and gleams,That runs ahead of singing streams(Yet somehow never downward seems),With this same foolish passion played,The same old merry journey made,Who took the road of easy grade—Till night came on, till sank the sun,Till shadows gathered one by oneAround the path, and day was done.’Twas then they turned; but now the hillWas high behind them, and the rillWithin the valley dark and still—Around, the level of the plain;Above, a rocky path of painTo climb, if they would rise again.I am no preacher called to preach;I am no teacher fit to teachYou younger men of better speech.Yet I have walked the merry roadWhere laughing rivers downward flowed,And climbed again with all the load,With all the load a man acquiresWho follows after his desiresUntil he finds his lusts are liars,Until he finds, as find he will,The peace, the joy, his age to fillHe left behind him on the hill.My preaching is not perfect, Jack;Yet truth, at least, it does not lack—For I have been there, boy, and back.
Yes, boy, I know—you do not think;You only hear the glasses clinkAnd feel the bogus joy of drink.Life looks all Summer through a glass;The whisky road is green with grass—But life and Summer both will pass.It’s easy now to drink or not,To drink a little or a lot;But after all your drinking, what?May it not happen ere the graveThe thing you laugh at you will crave?—The master will become the slave?God! I have seen them: Boys like you,The frolickers of fighting crew,Who never thought and never knew,Who took the road that dips and gleams,That runs ahead of singing streams(Yet somehow never downward seems),With this same foolish passion played,The same old merry journey made,Who took the road of easy grade—Till night came on, till sank the sun,Till shadows gathered one by oneAround the path, and day was done.’Twas then they turned; but now the hillWas high behind them, and the rillWithin the valley dark and still—Around, the level of the plain;Above, a rocky path of painTo climb, if they would rise again.I am no preacher called to preach;I am no teacher fit to teachYou younger men of better speech.Yet I have walked the merry roadWhere laughing rivers downward flowed,And climbed again with all the load,With all the load a man acquiresWho follows after his desiresUntil he finds his lusts are liars,Until he finds, as find he will,The peace, the joy, his age to fillHe left behind him on the hill.My preaching is not perfect, Jack;Yet truth, at least, it does not lack—For I have been there, boy, and back.
Yes, boy, I know—you do not think;You only hear the glasses clinkAnd feel the bogus joy of drink.
Yes, boy, I know—you do not think;
You only hear the glasses clink
And feel the bogus joy of drink.
Life looks all Summer through a glass;The whisky road is green with grass—But life and Summer both will pass.
Life looks all Summer through a glass;
The whisky road is green with grass—
But life and Summer both will pass.
It’s easy now to drink or not,To drink a little or a lot;But after all your drinking, what?
It’s easy now to drink or not,
To drink a little or a lot;
But after all your drinking, what?
May it not happen ere the graveThe thing you laugh at you will crave?—The master will become the slave?
May it not happen ere the grave
The thing you laugh at you will crave?—
The master will become the slave?
God! I have seen them: Boys like you,The frolickers of fighting crew,Who never thought and never knew,
God! I have seen them: Boys like you,
The frolickers of fighting crew,
Who never thought and never knew,
Who took the road that dips and gleams,That runs ahead of singing streams(Yet somehow never downward seems),
Who took the road that dips and gleams,
That runs ahead of singing streams
(Yet somehow never downward seems),
With this same foolish passion played,The same old merry journey made,Who took the road of easy grade—
With this same foolish passion played,
The same old merry journey made,
Who took the road of easy grade—
Till night came on, till sank the sun,Till shadows gathered one by oneAround the path, and day was done.
Till night came on, till sank the sun,
Till shadows gathered one by one
Around the path, and day was done.
’Twas then they turned; but now the hillWas high behind them, and the rillWithin the valley dark and still—
’Twas then they turned; but now the hill
Was high behind them, and the rill
Within the valley dark and still—
Around, the level of the plain;Above, a rocky path of painTo climb, if they would rise again.
Around, the level of the plain;
Above, a rocky path of pain
To climb, if they would rise again.
I am no preacher called to preach;I am no teacher fit to teachYou younger men of better speech.
I am no preacher called to preach;
I am no teacher fit to teach
You younger men of better speech.
Yet I have walked the merry roadWhere laughing rivers downward flowed,And climbed again with all the load,
Yet I have walked the merry road
Where laughing rivers downward flowed,
And climbed again with all the load,
With all the load a man acquiresWho follows after his desiresUntil he finds his lusts are liars,
With all the load a man acquires
Who follows after his desires
Until he finds his lusts are liars,
Until he finds, as find he will,The peace, the joy, his age to fillHe left behind him on the hill.
Until he finds, as find he will,
The peace, the joy, his age to fill
He left behind him on the hill.
My preaching is not perfect, Jack;Yet truth, at least, it does not lack—For I have been there, boy, and back.
My preaching is not perfect, Jack;
Yet truth, at least, it does not lack—
For I have been there, boy, and back.