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‹Better GutenbergNew Collected Rhymes“A Highly Valuable Chain of Thoughts” · 25 of 46Contents›

New Collected Rhymes

by Andrew Lang

25 of 46 · Contents · Download EPUB

“A Highly Valuable Chain of Thoughts”

Had cigarettes no ashes,
   And roses ne’er a thorn,
No man would be a funker
Of whin, or burn, or bunker.
There were no need for mashies,
   The turf would ne’er be torn,
Had cigarettes no ashes,
   And roses ne’er a thorn.

Had cigarettes no ashes,
   And roses ne’er a thorn,
The big trout would not ever
Escape into the river.
No gut the salmon smashes
   Would leave us all forlorn,
Had cigarettes no ashes,
   And roses ne’er a thorn.

But ’tis an unideal,
   Sad world in which we’re born,
And things will “go contrairy”
With Martin and with Mary:
And every day the real
   Comes bleakly in with morn,
And cigarettes have ashes,
   And every rose a thorn.

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