Facts

Facts written by William Henry Davies

New Poems (1907)

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One night poor Jim had not a sou,
  Mike had enough for his own bed;
Take it: I'll walk the streets to-night,'
  Said Mike, 'and you lie down instead.'

So Mike walked out, but ne'er came back;
  We know not whether he is drowned,
Or used his hands unlawfully;
  Is sick, or in some prison bound.

Now Jim was dying fast, and he
  Took to the workhouse his old bones;
To earn some water, bread, and sleep,
  They made that dying man break stones,

He swooned upon his heavy task:
  They carried him to a black coach,
And tearless strangers took him out -
  A corpse! at the infirmary's porch.

Since Jesus came with mercy and love,
  'Tis nineteen hundred years and five:
They made that dying man break stones,
  In faith that Christ is still alive.

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.