The Reckoning
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
It's fine to have a blow-out in a fancy restaurant,
With terrapin and canvas-back and all the wine you want;
To enjoy the flowers and music, watch the pretty women pass,
Smoke a choice cigar, and sip the wealthy water in your glass.
It's bully in a high-toned joint to eat and drink your fill,
But it's quite another matter when you
Pay the bill.
It's great to go out every night on fun or pleasure bent;
To wear your glad rags always and to never save a cent;
To drift along regardless, have a good time every trip;
To hit the high spots sometimes, and to let your chances slip;
To know you're acting foolish, yet to go on fooling still,
Till Nature calls a show-down, and you
Pay the bill.
Time has got a little bill -- get wise while yet you may,
For the debit side's increasing in a most alarming way;
The things you had no right to do, the things you should have done,
They're all put down; it's up to you to pay for every one.
So eat, drink and be merry, have a good time if you will,
But God help you when the time comes, and you
Foot the bill.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:05 min read
- 156 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | aabbcd C eeffcd C gghhcd c |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,099 |
Words | 210 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 1, 6, 1, 6, 1 |
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"The Reckoning" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32625/the-reckoning>.
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