Poem by Charles Mackay

Cleon and I

Cleon hath a million acres,
Ne'er a one have I;
Cleon dwelleth in a palace,
In a cottage I;
Cleon hath a dozen fortunes,
Not a penny I:
yet the poorer of the twain is
Cleon, and not I.

Cleon, true, possesseth acres,
But the landscape I;
Half the charms to me it yieldeth
Money cannot buy;
Cleon harbours sloth and dulness,
Freshening vigour I;
He in velvet, I in fustian-
Richer man am I.

Cleon is a slave to grandeur,
Free as thought am I;
Cleon fees a score of doctors,
Wealth-surrounded, care-environ'd,
Cleon fears to die;
Death may come, he'll find me ready;-
Happier man am I.

Cleon sees no charms in Nature,
In a daisy I;
Cleon hears no anthems singing
In the sea and sky;
Nature sings to me for ever,
Earnest listener I;
State for state, with all attendants,
Who would change? Not I. 

1. Street Companions
2. John Littlejohn
3. The Dove of Noah
4. Welcome Back
5. The Poor Man's Sunday Walk

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