Living

The Stoop of Rhenish

by John Davidson 1857–1909

From The Last Ballad and Other Poems (1899)

Living

When dogs in office frown you down,
And malice smirches your renown;
When fools and knaves your blunders twit,
And melancholy dries your wit;
Be no more dull
But polish and plenish
Your empty skull
With a stoop of Rhenish.
Drink by the card,
Drink by the score,
Drink by the yard,
Drink evermore.

When seamy sides begin to show,
And dimples into wrinkles grow;
When care comes in by hook or crook
And settles at your ingle-nook,
Never disdain
To polish and plenish
Your rusty brain
With a stoop of Rhenish,
Drink by the card,
Drink by the score,
Drink by the yard,
Drink evermore!

When hope gets up before the dawn,
And every goose appears a swan;
When time and tide, and chance and fate
Like lackeys on your wishes wait;
Then fill the bowl,
And polish and plenish
Your happy soul
With a stoop of Rhenish.
Drink by the card,
Drink by the score,
Drink by the yard,
Drink evermore!

MLA

Davidson, John. “The Stoop of Rhenish.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/davidson/70/.

Chicago

Davidson, John. “The Stoop of Rhenish.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/davidson/70/.

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