Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems by the late Thomas Haynes Bayly; Edited by his Widow. With A Memoir of the Author. In Two Volumes |
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THO' FIFTY, I AM STILL A BEAU! |
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 | Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems |  |
THO' FIFTY, I AM STILL A BEAU!
I
Tho' fifty, I am still a beau,My face is smooth and fair;
No dandy in his teens can show
A finer head of hair.
My wig suspicion has defied,
I take observers in,
For when the curls are comb'd aside,
You'd swear you saw the skin!
240
II
My sight may fail, but you will ne'erBehold a beau in specs;
We've double glasses, which we wear
Suspended round our necks;
Those spectacles proclaim decay,
And make one look four score,
But double glasses seem to say,
“Near sighted—nothing more.”
III
To modern vocalists, alone,I give my word of praise,
But never own to having known
The stars of other days.
Though Mara sang delightfully
When I was in my prime;
When she is named I say “Dear me!
She was before my time.”
IV
My nephews say, (I'm well aware)That I shall never wed,
They hope his worldly goods to share,
When Uncle John is dead.
But ladies smile on Uncle John,
He knows what he's about,
And when he weds, his eldest son
Will cut his cousins out.
V
For some sweet girl I daily seek,Not more than twenty-one;
A perfect figure, and a cheek
Like roses in the sun;
Good fortune and good family,
Good temper too I want;
When all these charms combined I see,
Then, nephews, hail your aunt!
| Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems | |