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H sat in a ẃīld ćer, wêtñ fr darc,

N śivrd in hiz gastli sūt v gre,

Leglis, soun śort at elbo. Ʈru ɖ parc

Vôsz v bôz rañ saḍnñ lîc a hím,

Vôsz v ple n pleźr aftr de,

Tl gaɖrñ slīp hd muɖrd ɖm fṛm him.

♣

Abt ɖs tîm Tǎn yst t swñ so ge

Ẃn glǒlamps budd in ɖ lît-blu triz,

N grlz glanst luvlịr az ɖ er grù dim,—

In ɖ old tîmz, bfr h ʈrù awe hiz niz.

Nǎ h wl nvr fīl agn hǎ slim

Grlz’ weists r, or hǎ worm ɖer sutl handz,

Ol v ɖm tuć him lîc sm qir dziz.

♦

Ɖr wz an artist sili fr hiz fes,

Fr it wz yungr ɖn hiz yʈ, last yir.

Nǎ, h z old; hiz bac wl nvr bres;

H’z lost hiz culr vri far fṛm hir,

Pord it dǎn śelhoulz tl ɖ veinz ran drî,

N haf hiz lîftîm lapst in ɖ hot rês

N līp v prpl sprtd fṛm hiz ʈî.

♠

Wn tîm h lîct a bludsmir dǎn hiz leg,

Aftr ɖ maćz carid śoldr-hî.

It wz aftr ftbōl, ẃn h’d drunc a peg,

H ʈt h’d betr jôn. H wundrz ẃ.

Smwn hd sd h’d lc a god in cilts.

Ɖt’s ẃ; n mbi, tù, t plīz hiz Meg,

Ai, ɖt wz it, t plīz ɖ gidi jilts,

H asct t jôn. H dd’nt hv t beg;

Smîlñ ɖe rout hiz lî: ejd nîntīn yirz.

Jrmnz h scersli ʈt v, ol ɖer gilt,

N Ostria’z, dd nt muv him. N no firz

V Fir cem yt. H ʈt v juwld hilts

Fr dagrz in pled socs; v smart s’lūts;

N cer v armz; n līv; n pe arirz;

Esprit de corps; n hints fr yuñ rcrūts.

N sn, h wz draftd ǎt wɖ drumz n ćirz.

♥

Sm ćird him hom, bt nt az crǎdz ćir Gol.

Onli a soḷm man hu bròt him frūts

Ʈanct him; n ɖen inqîrd abt hiz soul.

♣

Nǎ, h wl spend a fy sic yirz in insttyts,

N d ẃt ʈñz ɖ rūlz cnsidr wîz,

N tec ẃtvr piti ɖe me dǒl.

Tnît h notist hǎ ɖ wimin’z îz

Pást fṛm him t ɖ stroñ men ɖt wr hol.

Hǎ cold n lêt it z! Ẃ d’nt ɖe cm

N pt him intu bed? Ẃ d’nt ɖe cm?

♦

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