The Rev. Ebenezer Paul

The Rev. Ebenezer Paul written by William Henry Davies

From "The Bird of Paradise", 1914

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He begs from rich men for the poor,
And robs the poor of Christmas dinners.
Ah, cruel Time, to keep alive
For all these years such hoary sinners!
This hard, old man with silvery locks,
With false, white teeth — see how he fawns!
Feel in that hair, and I'll be damned
If thou'lt not find the Devil's horns!

This stack of infamy, that keeps
Dark, greedy thoughts like rats within;
This stack that harbours gentle looks,
Like snakes with their cold, smiling skin;
This gospel-monger, old and bland,
Who prays aloud for other sinners —
He begs from rich men for the poor,
And robs the poor of Christmas dinners.

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