A POEM by Paul Curtis,
BASED ON THE STORY by
Charles Dickens “A
CHRISTMAS CAROL”
VERSE 5 – TWO
GENTLEMEN COME A CALLING
No sooner had
Scrooge's nephew gone out of view
Than entered a party
of gentlemen numbering two
They were both
pleasant looking portly gentlemen
Who now stood, hats
off, in Scrooge's office environ
They had books and
papers in their hands, and bowed
One produced a list of
which he was obviously proud
“Scrooge and Marley's,
I believe,” said one of the men
After scanning down a
list of names with the point of a pen
“Is it Mr. Scrooge I’m
addressing or Mr. Marley instead?”
“Mr. Marley’s been
dead these seven years,” Scrooge said
“It was in fact that
he died seven years ago this very night”
Scrooge said examining
their credentials by candlelight
“We have no doubt,”
said the larger gentlemen of the pair
“His liberality is
well represented by his surviving partner”
At the very ominous
word “liberality,” Scrooge frowned
And he handed their
credentials back without a sound
“At this festive
season of the year” said one gentleman,
“It’s desirable that
we should make provision if we can
For the Poor and
Destitute, who suffer greatly at this time
Many thousands are in
want, which is really such a crime
They lack common
necessaries and common comforts, sir.”
“Are there no
prisons?” asked Scrooge sitting in his chair
“Plenty of prisons,”
said the gentleman without hesitation
“And the Union
workhouses? Are they still in operation?”
“They are, I wish they
were not” replied one gentleman
“The Treadmill and the
Poor Law are in full vigor, then?”
Scrooge asked and was
told “They’re both very busy, sir”
Scrooge smiled and
seemed to relax back into his chair
“Oh well I'm very glad
to hear it” Ebeneezer scrooge said
“I was afraid that
something had occurred to stop them dead”
“I’m relieved to hear
they continue in their useful course”
Undeterred the
gentlemen continued with some remorse
“A few of us are
raising a fund to buy the Poor some meat
And drink and means of
warmth or a blanket and a sheet
We choose this time
when want is keenly felt by the poor
And abundance
rejoices. What shall I put you down for?”
Both men looked
expectant Scrooge replied “Nothing!”
“You wish to be
anonymous?” asked one man nodding
“I wish to be left
alone,” said Scrooge “Since you ask me
What I wish,
gentlemen, that is the answer I decree
I don't make merry
myself at Christmas on the contrary
And I certainly can’t
afford to make idle people merry
I have mentioned the
establishments I help to support
And those who are
badly off must go there for comfort”
The two gentlemen
shook their heads at Scrooge’s reply
“Many cannot go there
and many would rather die.”
Scrooge’s response was
the most savage declaration
“They should do it and
decrease the surplus population”
Scrooge returned “The
poor are not my business,
It's enough for a man
to know his own business
And not to interfere
in other people's in anyway
Mine occupies me
constantly gentlemen Good day!”
Seeing clearly that it
would be useless to pursue
And with spirits
depleted the gentlemen withdrew
VERSE 6 – IN THE
COUNTING HOUSE AGAIN
Mr. Scrooge returned
to his labors with renewed vigor
And an improved
opinion of himself as a moral figure
He was left in peace
for the remainder of the working day
Save for Carolers who
he unceremoniously shooed away
The hour of shutting
up the counting house arrived duly
And with an ill-will
Scrooge dismounted his stool tacitly
The poor expectant
clerk instantly snuffed his candle out
And adjusted his
clothing in preparation of going without
“You'll want all day
to-morrow?” said Scrooge sharply
“If it’s quite
convenient, sir.” The clerk replied meekly
“It's not convenient
and it’s unfair. If I was to stop your pay
Scrooge ranted “you'd
think yourself ill-used, I'll dare say”
“And yet,” said
Scrooge pointing at his cowering clerk
“You don't think me
ill-used, when I pay wages for no work.”
The poor clerk
observed that it was only once a year.
This retort merely
enraged Scrooge even more I fear
“And that’s a poor
excuse for picking a man's pocket
Every twenty-fifth of
December!” he said in a blue fit
“But I suppose you
must have the whole day” he said
“But you be here all
the earlier next morning instead”
The clerk promised
faithfully that he would without doubt
And growling
disapproval Ebeneezer Scrooge walked out
VERSE 7 – CLERKING
ABOUT
The office was closed
in the merest twinkling of an eye
And the clerk in the
spirit of the season bad the office goodbye
With the ends of his
white comforter dangling below his waist
He made his way home
to Camden Town with great haste
Stopping only to take
turns with a group of boys on a slide
Only about twenty
times at the end of the lane near Cheapside
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