Sour Sonnets of a Sorehead & Other Songs of the Street/Sorehead Sonnet Six

by James Percival Haverson

Sorehead Sonnet Six

Life is a lemon that is handed out
To every man when he is very young.
We are not wise that we are being strung
Until it is too late to raise a shout;
We never get a chance to pipe the tout
Until the race is on, the gong has rung,
And then we realize we have been stung.
Before we know it we are down an' out.
This is no vision of a dopey glow,
An' I will put you wise to what I mean:
A special goldbrick has been handed me,
An' I can prove that what I say is so—
To-day is Friday and the date thirteen,
It is my birthday and I'm 23!