Nell Barnes
July 6, 2023Mad Poll
July 6, 2023Money, O!
When I had money, money, O!
I knew no joy till I went poor;
For many a false man as a friend
Came knocking all day at my door.
Then felt I like a child that holds
A trumpet that he must not blow
Because a man is dead; I dared
Not speak to let this false world know.
Much have I thought of life, and seen
How poor men’s hearts are ever light;
And how their wives do hum like bees
About their work from morn till night.
So, when I hear these poor ones laugh,
And see the rich ones coldly frown—
Poor men, think I, need not go up
So much as rich men should come down.
When I had money, money, O!
My many friends proved all untrue;
But now I have no money, O!
My friends are real, though very few.
William Henry Davies
William Henry Davies (1871-1940) was a Welsh poet and writer, best known for his works that celebrated the beauty and simplicity of nature. He was born in Newport, Wales and spent much of his early life as a tramp, travelling across the UK and the USA. Davies wrote about his experiences as a wanderer, drawing on themes of poverty, social injustice and the struggles of everyday life. His most famous works include "Leisure," "The Hill of Summer" and "Autumn Landscape."