Scenes from the Big Picture

If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars;
   It may be, in yon smoke concealed,
Your comrades chase e'en now the fliers,
   And, but for you, possess the field.

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,
   Seem here no painful inch to gain,
Far back, through creeks and inlets making,
   Comes silent, flooding in, the main,

And not by eastern windows only,
   When daylight comes, comes in the light,
In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly
   But westward, look, the land is bright.

I'll never forget. He went out, reeling;
his mouth was twisted, desolate...
I ran downstairs, not touching the banisters,
and followed him as far as the gate.

And shouted, choking: 'I meant it all
in fun. Don't leave me, or I'll die of pain.'
He smiled at me — oh so calmly, terribly -
and said: 'Why don't you get out of the rain?'

In the big city
Where it's hard to see the sky
And the black earth trembles when the trains go by
And the bums on the corner tell you gently
To fuck off and die.

When money's tight and is hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt -
A pint of plain is your only man.

When health is bad and your heart feels strange,
And your face is pale and wan,
When doctors say that you need a change,
A pint of plain is your only man.

When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
A pint of plain is your only man.

In time of trouble and lousy strife
You have still got a darling plan,
You still can turn to a brighter life -
A pint of plain is your only man.