First Old Man
He threw his crutched stick down: there came
Into his face the anger flame,
And he spoke viciously of one
Who thwarted him-his son-s son.
He turned his head away.--I hate
Absurdity of language, prate
From growing fellows. We-d not stay
About the house the whole of a day
When we were young,
Keeping no job and giving tongue!
-Not us in troth! We would not come
For bit or sup, but stay from home
If we gave answers, or we-d creep
Back to the house, and in we-d peep
Just like a corncrake.
-My grandson and his comrades take
A piece of coal from you, from me
A log, or sod of turf, maybe;
And in some empty place they-ll light
A fire, and stay there all night,
A wisp of lads! Now understand
The blades of grass under my hand
Would be destroyed by company!
There-s no good company: we go
With what is lowest to the low!
He stays up late, and how can he
Rise early? Sure he lags in bed,
And she is worn to a thread
With calling him-his grandmother.
She-s an old woman, and she must make
Stir when the birds are half awake
In dread he-d lose this job like the other!�

Second Old Man
-They brought yon fellow over here,
And set him up for an overseer:
Though men from work are turned away
That thick-necked fellow draws full pay-
Three pounds a week.... They let burn down
The timber yard behind the town
Where work was good; though firemen stand
In boots and brasses big and grand
The crow of a cock away from the place.
And with the yard they let burn too
The clock in the tower, the clock I knew
As well as I know the look in my face.�
Third Old Man

-The fellow you spoke of has broken his bounds-
He came to skulk inside of these grounds:
Behind the bushes he lay down
And stretched full hours in the sun.
He rises now, and like a crane
He looks abroad. He-s off again:
Three pounds a week, and still he owes
Money in every street he goes,
Hundreds of pounds where we-d not get
The second shilling of a debt.�

First Old Man
-Old age has every impediment
Vexation and discontent;
The rich have more than we: for bit
The cut of bread, and over it
The scrape of hog-s lard, and for sup
Warm water in a cup.
But different sorts of feeding breaks
The body more than fasting does
With pains and aches.
-I-m not too badly off, for I
Have pipe and tobacco, a place to lie,
A nook to myself; but from my hand
Is taken the strength to back command-
I-m broken, and there-s gone from me
The privilege of authority.�
I heard them speak-
The old men heavy on the sod,
Letting their angers come
Between them and the thought of God.