'Oh, a sailor's life's a dog's life, an' that's the truth,' says Bill, <br />'A sailor's life's a dog's life, look at it 'ow you will; <br />You break your back with workin' for 'arf a coolie's pay, <br />An' a sailor's life's a dog's life, look at it 'ow you may.' <br /> <br />'There's mates to kick an' 'aze you (an' you dursen't 'it 'em back); <br />There's cold to freeze your innards an' there's 'eat as burns you black; <br />There's junk as tough as green 'eart 'an weevils in the bread, <br />An' fistin' frozen canvas till you're wishin' you were dead.' <br /> <br />'But you bet I'm goin' to quit it, nex' time I jump ashore; <br />As soon as I strike ol' 'Frisco, you won't see me no more; <br />I'll set a course sou'westward to an island as I know, <br />Where we laid once loadin' copra - might be twenty year ago.' <br /> <br />'I'll lay out on the beach there, where the sun is good an' 'ot, <br />An' I won't need no more trousis, when I've wore out them I've got; <br />With a gunny round my middle, an' a soul to call my own <br />I wouldn't charge my fortune for the King's upon 'is throne.' <br /> <br />But when we'd finished loading and sailing day came round, <br />With the pilot boat alongside and the mudhook off the ground, <br />And the towboat cast the hawser off and left us with a cheer, <br />Why, there'd be Bill a-growling as he'd done for twenty year. <br /> <br />'Oh a sailor's life's a dog's life, an' that's a fact, my son; <br />'Is pay's no more'n a coolie's, 'is work is never done; <br />But you bet I'm goin' to quit it fust chance as comes my way, <br />For a sailor's life's a dog's life, look at it 'ow you may.'<br /><br />Cicely Fox Smith<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-dog-s-life-2/
