I’VE done with joys an’ misery, <br />An’ why should I repine? <br />There’s no one knows the past but me <br />An’ that ol’ dog o’ mine. <br />We camp an’ walk an’ camp an’ walk, <br />An’ find it fairly good; <br />He can do anything but talk, <br />An’ he wouldn’t if he could. <br /> <br />We sits an’ thinks beside the fire, <br />With all the stars a-shine, <br />An’ no one knows our thoughts but me <br />An’ that there dog o’ mine. <br />We has our Johnny-cake an’ “scrag,” <br />An’ finds ’em fairly good; <br />He can do anything but talk, <br />An’ he wouldn’t if he could. <br /> <br />He gets a ’possum now an’ then, <br />I cooks it on the fire; <br />He has his water, me my tea— <br />What more could we desire? <br />He gets a rabbit when he likes, <br />We finds it pretty good; <br />He can do anything but talk, <br />An’ he wouldn’t if he could. <br /> <br />I has me smoke, he has his rest, <br />When sunset’s gettin’ dim; <br />An’ if I do get drunk at times, <br />It’s all the same to him. <br />So long’s he’s got me swag to mind, <br />He thinks that times is good; <br />He can do anything but talk, <br />An’ he wouldn’t if he could. <br /> <br />He gets his tucker from the cook, <br />For cook is good to him, <br />An’ when I sobers up a bit, <br />He goes an’ has a swim. <br />He likes the rivers where I fish, <br />An’ all the world is good; <br />He can do anything but talk, <br />An’ he wouldn’t if he could.<br /><br />Henry Lawson<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/down-the-river-3/
