Poems

Poems List

Explore poems from our collection

Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Portrait

Portrait


Because life's passing show
Is little to his mind,
There is a man I know
Indrawn from human kind.
His dearest friends are book…

213
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Pragmatic

Pragmatic


When young I was an Atheist,
Yea, pompous as a pigeon
No opportunity I missed
To satirize religion.

I sneered at Script…

217
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Poor Poet

Poor Poet

'A man should write to please himself,'
He proudly said.

Well, see his poems on the shelf,
Dusty, unread.

When he came …

277
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Poor Kid

Poor Kid

Mumsie and Dad are raven dark
And I am lily blonde.

''Tis strange,' I once heard nurse remark,
'You do not correspond.'

203
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Poet's Path

Poet's Path

My garden hath a slender path
With ivy overgrown,
A secret place where once would pace
A pot all alone;
I see him now with frette…

187
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Pooch

Pooch


Nurse, won't you let him in?
He's barkin' an' scratchen' the door,
Makin' so dreffel a din
I jest can't sleep any more;
Out there…

253
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Plebeian Plutocrat

Plebeian Plutocrat

I own a gorgeous Cadillac,
A chauffeur garbed in blue;
And as I sit behind his back
His beefy neck I view.
Yet let me whis…

258
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Pipe Smoker

Pipe Smoker

Because I love the soothing weed
And am of sober type,
I'd choose me for a friend in need
A man who smokes a pipe.
A cove who has…

237
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Perfection

Perfection


If I could practise what I preach,
Of fellows there would few be finer;
If I were true to what I teach
My life would be a lot divi…

250
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Picture Dealer

Picture Dealer

There were twin artists A. and B.
Who painted pictures two,
And hung them in my galley
For everyone to view;
The one exhibited…

183
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Pavement Poet

Pavement Poet

God's truth! these be the bitter times.
In vain I sing my sheaf of rhymes,
And hold my battered hat for dimes.


And then a…

205
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Pantheist

Pantheist


Lolling on a bank of thyme
Drunk with Spring I made this rhyme. . . .


Though peoples perish in defeat,
And races suffer…

235
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

"Give me my daily bread.
It seems so odd,
When all is done and said,
This plea to God.
To pray for cake might be
The th…

230
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Our Pote

Our Pote

A pote is sure a goofy guy;
He ain't got guts like you or I

To tell the score;
He ain't goy gumption 'nuff to know
The game of…

163
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

On The Boulevard

On The Boulevard

Oh, it's pleasant sitting here,
Seeing all the people pass;
You beside your bock of beer,
I behind my demi-tasse.
Chatting o…

220
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Only A Boche

Only A Boche

We brought him in from between the lines: we'd better have let him lie;
For what's the use of risking one's skin for a tyke that's going to die? <…

174
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Old Trouper

Old Trouper

I was Mojeska's leading man
And famous parts I used to play,
But now I do the best I can
To earn my bread from day to day;
Here i…

280
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Old Sweethearts

Old Sweethearts

Oh Maggie, do you mind the day
We went to school together,
And as we stoppit by the way
I rolled you in the heather?
My! but …

198
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Old Engine Driver

Old Engine Driver

For five and twenty years I've run
A famous train;

But now my spell of speed is done,
No more I'll strain

My si…

198
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Old David Smail

Old David Smail

He dreamed away his hours in school;
He sat with such an absent air,
The master reckoned him a fool,
And gave him up in dull despai…

204
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Old Bob

Old Bob

I guess folks think I'm mighty dumb
Since Jack and Jim and Joe
Have hit the trail to Kingdom Come
And left me here below:
Since Death…

174
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Old Codger

Old Codger

Of garden truck he made his fare,
As his bright eyes bore witness;
Health was his habit and his care,
His hobby human fitness.
He …

287
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Noctambule

Noctambule


Zut! it's two o'clock.
See! the lights are jumping.
Finish up your bock,
Time we all were humping.
Waiters stack the chairs,…

210
Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service

Obesity

Obesity


With belly like a poisoned pup
Said I: 'I must give bacon up:
And also, I profanely fear,
I must abandon bread and beer
That ma…

380