Careers

Father is quite the greatest poet  

    That ever lived anywhere.  

You say you’re going to write great music—  

    I chose that first: it’s unfair.  

Besides, now I can’t be the greatest painter and

        do Christ and angels, or lovely pears  

        and apples and grapes on a green dish,  

        or storms at sea, or anything lovely,  

Because that’s been taken by Claire.  

It’s stupid to be an engine-driver,

    And soldiers are horrible men.  

I won’t be a tailor, I won’t be a sailor,  

    And gardener’s taken by Ben.  

It’s unfair if you say that you’ll write great  

        music, you horrid, you unkind (I sim-

        ply loathe you, though you are my  

        sister), you beast, cad, coward, cheat,  

        bully, liar!  

Well? Say what’s left for me then!  

But we won’t go to your ugly music.

    (Listen!) Ben will garden and dig,  

And Claire will finish her wondrous pictures  

    All flaming and splendid and big.  

And I’ll be a perfectly marvellous carpenter,  

        and I’ll make cupboards and benches

        and tables and… and baths, and  

        nice wooden boxes for studs and  

        money,  

And you’ll be jealous, you pig!