John Scofield Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKGLJMNOPQR STURVWXYZPSA2VB2ANMS C2D2E2ND2UF2G2G2B BH2I VGI2J2MK2VSJ L2JM2N2VO2 P2PVQ2R2RC2S2BD2T2U2 CD2ABV2D2G2H2W2INVBV VD2X2VY2Z2A3VVB3U2C SC3D3BVE3GF3VG3H3AI3 NJ3VK3L3 M3BN3O3A3S2 E3G2WD2US2P3BE3Q3

You see I worked for Arthur Fouche he saidA
Until the year before he died I knewB
That worthless son of his who lived with himC
Born when his mother was past bearing timeD
So born a weakling When he came from collegeE
He married soon and came to mother's hearthF
And brought his bride I heard the old man sayG
A man should have his own place when he marriesH
Not settle in the family nest I heardI
The old man offer him a place or offerJ
To buy a place for him This baby boyK
Ran quick to mother cried and asked to stayG
What happened then What always happens SoonL
This son began to edge upon the fatherJ
And take the reins a little Arthur FoucheM
Was growing old And at the last the sonN
Controlled the bank account and ran the farmsO
And Mrs Fouche gave up her place at tableP
To daughter in law no longer served or pouredQ
The coffee so you see how humble beggarsR
Become the masters it is always soS
Now this I know When this boy came from schoolT
And brought his wife back to the family placeU
Old Arthur Fouche had twenty thousand dollarsR
On saving in the bank and lots of moneyV
Loaned out on mortgages But when he diedW
He owed two thousand dollars at the bankX
Where did the money go Why for ten yearsY
When Arthur Fouche and son were partners IZ
Saw what went on and saw this boy buy cattleP
When beef was high sell cattle when it was lowS
And lose each year a little And I sawA2
This boy buy buggies autos and machineryV
And lose the money trading So it wasB2
This worthless boy had nothing in his headA
To run a business which used up the fortuneN
Of Arthur Fouche and strangled Arthur FoucheM
As vines destroy an oak tree Well you knowS
When Arthur Fouche's will was opened upC2
They found this son was willed most everythingD2
It's always so The children who go outE2
And make their way get nothing and the sonN
Who stays at home by mother gets the swagD2
And so this son was willed the family placeU
And sold it to that chiropractor leftF2
For California to remake his lifeG2
And died there after wasting all his lifeG2
His father's fortune tooB
-
So now to show youB
How age breaks down a mind and dulls a heartH2
I'll tell you what I heardI
-
This Elenor MurrayV
Was eighteen just from High School and one dayG
She came to see her grandfather and talkedI2
The old man always said he loved her mostJ2
Of all the grandchildren and Mrs FoucheM
Told me a dozen times she thought as muchK2
Of Elenor Murray as she did of anyV
Child of her own Too bad they didn't showS
Their love for herJ
-
I was in and out the roomL2
Where Elenor Murray and her grandfatherJ
Were talking on that day was planing doorsM2
That swelled and wouldn't close There was no secretN2
About this talk of theirs that I could seeV
And so I listenedO2
-
Elenor beganP2
If you can help me grandpa just a littleP
I can go through the universityV
I can teach school in summer and can saveQ2
A little money by denying selfR2
If you can let me have two hundred dollarsR
When school begins each year divide it upC2
If you prefer and give me half in the fallS2
And half in March perhaps I can get throughB
And when I finish I shall go to workD2
And pay you back I want it as a loanT2
And do not ask it for a gift She satU2
And fingered at her dress while asking himC
And Arthur Fouche looked at her Come to thinkD2
He was toward eighty then At last he saidA
I wish I could do what you ask me ElenorB
But there are several things You see my childV2
I have been through this thing of educatingD2
A family of children lived my lifeG2
In that regard and so have done my partH2
I sent your mother to St Mary's sentW2
The rest of them wherever they desiredI
And that's what every father owes his childrenN
And when he does it he has done his dutyV
I'm sorry that your father cannot help youB
And I would help you though I've done my dutyV
By those to whom I owed it but you seeV
Your uncle and myself are partners buyingD2
And selling cattle and the business lagsX2
We do not profit much and all the moneyV
I have in bank is needed for this businessY2
We buy the cattle and we buy the cornZ2
Then we run short of corn and now and thenA3
I have to ask the bank to lend us moneyV
And give my note Last month I borrowed moneyV
And so the old man talked And as I lookedB3
I saw the tears run down her cheeks She satU2
And looked as if she didn't believe himC
-
NoS
Why should she For I do not understandC3
Why in a case like this a man who's worthD3
Say fifty thousand dollars couldn't spareB
Two hundred dollars by the year Let's seeV
He might have bought less corn or cattle gambledE3
On lucky sales of cattle there's a wayG
To do a big thing when you have the eyesF3
To see how big it is and as for meV
If money must be lost I'd rather lose itG3
On Elenor Murray than on cattle In factH3
That's where the money went as I have saidA
And Elenor Murray went away and earnedI3
Two terms at college and this worthless sonN
Ate up and spent the money All of themJ3
The son and Arthur Fouche and Elenor MurrayV
Are gone to dust now like the garden thingsK3
That sprout up fall and rotL3
-
At times it seemsM3
All waste to me no matter what you doB
For self or others unless you think of turnipsN3
Which can't be much to turnips but are goodO3
For us who raise them Here's my story thenA3
Good wishes to you Coroner MerivalS2
-
-
-
Coroner Merival heard that Gottlieb GeraldE3
Knew Elenor Murray and her family lifeG2
And knew her love for music how she triedW
To play on the piano On an eveningD2
He went with Winthrop Marion to the placeU
Llewellyn George dropped in to hear as wellS2
Where Gottlieb Gerald sold pianos dreamedP3
Read Kant at times a scholar but a failureB
His life a waste in business Gottlieb GeraldE3
Spoke to them in these wordsQ3

Edgar Lee Masters



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