Cleon And I
Cleon hath a million acres, -
Ne’er a one have I;
Cleon dwellth in a palace, -
In a cottage, I.
Cleon hath a dozen fortunes, -
Not a penny, I;
Yet the poorer of the twain is
Cleon, and not I.
Cleon, true, possesseth acres, -
But the landscape I;
Half the charms to me it yieldeth,
Money cannot buy.
Cleon harbors sloth and dullness, -
Freshening vigor I;
He in velvet, I in fustian,
Richer man am I.
Cleon is a slave to grandeur, -
Free as though am I;
Cleon fees a score of doctors,
Need of none have I.
Wealth-surrounded, care-environed, -
Cleon fears to die.
Death may come, he’ll find me ready, -
Happier man am I.
Cleon sees no charm in nature, -
In a daisy, I;
Cleon hears no anthem ringing
In the sea and sky;
Nature sings to me forever, -
Earnest listener I!
State for state, with all attendants,
Who would change? Not I.
