When friends are listening round me, Jack, to hear my dying breath,
And I am lying in a sleep they say will end in death,
Don-t notice what the doctor says-and let the nurse complain--
I-ll tell you how to rouse me if I-ll ever wake again.
Just you bring in your fiddle, Jack, and set your heart in tune,
And strike up -Annie Laurieâ?, or -The Rising of the Moonâ?;
And if you see no token of a rising in my throat,
You-ll need to brace your mouth, old man-I-m booked by Charon-s boat.
And if you are not satisfied that I am off the scene,
Strike up -The Marseillaiseâ?, or else -The Wearing of the Greenâ?;
And should my fingers tremble not, then I have crossed the line,
But keep your fingers steady, Jack, and strike up -Auld Lang Syneâ?.
Old Tunes
Henry Lawson
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Poem topics: breath, death, green, heart, moon, sleep, notice, hear, mouth, bring, nurse, throat, scene, token, jack, I love you, I miss you, Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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