SONNET WROTE AFTER HEARIN’ A YOUTH ORATIN’ ABOUT “CASABIANCA”

By Nixon Waterman

O Boy, that stood'st upon the burnin’ deck

And gotst thyself in our school readers and

The “Whoop -‘ er-up” school speakers of our land

Because thou wouldst not leave that sinkin’ wreck,

Oh, don'tst thou think if thou hadst saved thy neck

And wisely cut and run to beat the band,

Thou couldst have later done things still more grand?

Alas! too soon didst death thy valor check!

Oh, didst thou stay because thou couldst not swim?

Or wast it fame for which thy heart didst yearn?

Of course thou gotst a name time canst not dim,

But seemst to me that all I canst discern

In thy foolhardy, stickin’ - to-it whim

Is that thou deemed the world hadst boys to burn.