The Silent Ones
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
I'm just an ordinary chap
Who comes home to his tea,
And mostly I don't care a rap
What people think of me;
I do my job and take my pay,
And love of peace expound;
But as I go my patient way,
--Don't push me round.
Though I respect authority
And order never flout,
When Law and Justice disagree
You can include me out.
The Welfare State I tolerate
If it is kept in bound,
But if you wish to rouse my hate
--Just push me round.
And that's the way with lots of us:
We want to feel we're free;
So labour governments we cuss
And mock at monarchy.
Yea, we are men of secret mirth,
And fury seldom sound;
But if you value peace on earth
--Don't push us round.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 19, 2023
- 42 sec read
- 118 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCDCD BEBEFDFD GBGBHDHD |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 716 |
Words | 135 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
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"The Silent Ones" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32646/the-silent-ones>.
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