 | Coffin's Poems with Ajax' Ordeals |  |
Strong Drink.
There is a crime upon this land,
That works both night and day,
It gives its wicked, dark command,
The hearts of men it sways.
That works both night and day,
It gives its wicked, dark command,
The hearts of men it sways.
It brings men from all ranks of life,
Down to the brutish tribe,
Where everything is war and strife,
And wickedness abide.
Down to the brutish tribe,
Where everything is war and strife,
And wickedness abide.
It goes into the sacred homes,
Where peace and love should be;
It makes the children long to roam,
And home affections flee.
Where peace and love should be;
It makes the children long to roam,
And home affections flee.
112
It knocks the noble mother down,
It kicks her on the floor,
And makes her husband give her frown,
Which follows with a blow.
It kicks her on the floor,
And makes her husband give her frown,
Which follows with a blow.
Sometimes it curses mother dear,
And stabs her bleeding heart,
And, filled with sorrow, love, and fear,
From husband's face departs.
And stabs her bleeding heart,
And, filled with sorrow, love, and fear,
From husband's face departs.
It strips the children naked and
Leaves them without their food;
It breaks the fam'ly coral strand,
And leaves things dark and rude.
Leaves them without their food;
It breaks the fam'ly coral strand,
And leaves things dark and rude.
It takes the young man in his prime,
And makes him curse his mother,
But this is the beginning crime,
It takes him even further.
And makes him curse his mother,
But this is the beginning crime,
It takes him even further.
It makes him take the spotless heart
Of some bright, prosperous maid,
And take it to the demon mart,
And there has it arrayed.
Of some bright, prosperous maid,
And take it to the demon mart,
And there has it arrayed.
It makes her break the marriage vow,
While in her honey moon,
And long from his demoniac rows,
To roam and cure her swoons.
While in her honey moon,
And long from his demoniac rows,
To roam and cure her swoons.
113
It makes the young man poison all
The tissues of her system,
And various diseases make
This maid their deathly victim.
The tissues of her system,
And various diseases make
This maid their deathly victim.
He soon vacates this world himself,
And leaves a weeping widow,
With mind, and soul, and heart bereft,
A past all dark and bitter.
And leaves a weeping widow,
With mind, and soul, and heart bereft,
A past all dark and bitter.
He leaves with her an infant child,
With an intemperate birth;
To, if it lives, go and defile
Some other one of worth.
With an intemperate birth;
To, if it lives, go and defile
Some other one of worth.
This demon takes a million youths
In every passing year,
And makes them disregard the truth,
And give to right a jeer.
In every passing year,
And makes them disregard the truth,
And give to right a jeer.
It strikes a million mothers' hearts,
That should be filled with joy,
And makes their inner senses start
With “Where's my precious boy?”
That should be filled with joy,
And makes their inner senses start
With “Where's my precious boy?”
It takes a million mid-life men,
From out the state and church,
And takes them to its wicked den
Where conscience walks with crutch.
From out the state and church,
And takes them to its wicked den
Where conscience walks with crutch.
114
It takes the old retiring sage,
Who should give good advice,
And makes him, in his ripe old age
Detest the living Christ.
Who should give good advice,
And makes him, in his ripe old age
Detest the living Christ.
It makes the leaders of the state
Forget that man needs limit,
And names this crime industry great,
Because there's money in it.
Forget that man needs limit,
And names this crime industry great,
Because there's money in it.
It fills our penitent'ry walls,
It runs the county farms;
It overflows the prison stalls,
With all its death-like charms.
It runs the county farms;
It overflows the prison stalls,
With all its death-like charms.
Its fruits are the asylums, and
Poor-houses, and hospitals,
The gambling hell, the illfamed house,
Where satan plays the fiddle.
Poor-houses, and hospitals,
The gambling hell, the illfamed house,
Where satan plays the fiddle.
It wrecks the system of a man,
Promotes arterial action,
Inflames the liver and it stands
Amidst diseases' factions.
Promotes arterial action,
Inflames the liver and it stands
Amidst diseases' factions.
This preys upon the active lungs,
Which paints the hectic cheek,
And prophecies a sepulcher
For a consumptive freak.
Which paints the hectic cheek,
And prophecies a sepulcher
For a consumptive freak.
115
This follows on the fatal train,
Promoting untold sadness,
Until it strikes upon the brain,
Which brings distressing madness.
Promoting untold sadness,
Until it strikes upon the brain,
Which brings distressing madness.
The victim feels himself in hell
While he's with living men;
And he could whet the dagger well,
To take the life of friends.
While he's with living men;
And he could whet the dagger well,
To take the life of friends.
His wicked passions are inflamed,
With crime, with lust, with anger,
And drops his heart in human shame
Beneath all human candor.
With crime, with lust, with anger,
And drops his heart in human shame
Beneath all human candor.
He seeks to hold relentless war,
With God, or man, or self;
All men to him are at a par,
His mind is all bereft.
With God, or man, or self;
All men to him are at a par,
His mind is all bereft.
This crime is universal,
It travels this wide world o'er,
It makes men's hearts reversal,
And puts conscience out the door.
It travels this wide world o'er,
It makes men's hearts reversal,
And puts conscience out the door.
It has swallowed generations,
And made whole nations shrink;
Its mission is damnation,
This crime is named “Strong Drink.”
And made whole nations shrink;
Its mission is damnation,
This crime is named “Strong Drink.”
| Coffin's Poems with Ajax' Ordeals | |