Analysis of SORRY OLE MAN
Barry Green Jr 1973 (Florida)
SORRY OLE MAN
Ya thinks ya know me doncha?
Yeah ya got me all figured out
I'm one of them, yeah,on of the Lost
Those filthy, unsaved, pagans
The Damned
Ya knowed where I could be found
At any time in the bars
Just put the nozzle in my mouth
And fill 'er up!
And speaking o' my mouth
I could cuss up a storm
Soldiers would blush and hush me
Sailors might faint dead away
At the curses I invoked!
I mean I would use the name of Jesus
More 'en the pastor in yes church!
I'd also call upon God
But I gave 'im a last name
Ya know what? Yer right?
That was me to a t
Hit 'er on the nail thar dincha!
Ya know what? Ya don't know me!
Ya never took the time!
I 'uz there all day while!
Ya and yer church!
Whatcha know about me?
Do you know 'bout the time I bummed
'Round the cou'ry when I wuz young?
How I wuz robbed and lef' fer dead
Out near jac'son?
I seen yer type o' church that day
Yez sur it wuz a S'day
And I goes to tha' buil'ing
All bloody, buized, and bus'ed up
An' ya'll turn me away!
Yes dang usher boot me ou'
And tell me to stay out
Az I lim'ed away a barkeep sees me
Invite me in and gives me a drink!
An' a little cash, 'elped me clea'
Ma sorry looking se'f up!
Yez sur! Tha's ma type o' peo'le!
And my nei'bor Mike wuz a Chr'tian
Yup e'ryday we talk, abou' f'ball
F'shen, neva' abou' Je'us!
Fer t'irty dang yea' 'e lived nex' ta me!
Not 'nce he tol' me 'bout his chu'ch
No even when Jan wuz hit by tha' ca'!
Oh I wuz prayin' then, ya betcha!
An' Mike vis't Jan and comfor' me
Bu' some'ow Je'us weren't mentioned
Anyhow we is at 'eaven's Gate
An' yer s'prised ta see me? Ya sh'ld be!
It too'' a four yea'ole ta tell whatchall shoulda
Thas right, I wuz a dyin' thinkin' 'bout
'Eaven and Hell and whatnot, and I's hear singing
Jeezus luvs me, thith I know, fer da
Bi'le tell 'e so! Mah Gra'dson Jamie sang
An I sez," Jamie come see pa"
'E come running az faz az ' e could
Ploppin' down beside me on da bed
"Yeah Pa?" He sez
"What the Bi'le set 'bou Je'us?"
"It say that 'e luvs ya and'll takes ya ta
'Eav'n iffen ya ax 'im ta " Lil Jamie sez
Then he run ou' singing his song
I laid there thinging ' bout Je'us an' Lil
Jamie, n jus' ma life
I tole God I knowed I wuz wrong in mah life
An axed Je'us to take me to 'eaven when I die
Tree hour lader I did
Well now you knows me
But tink o whut I might dun
Iffen ya tole me 'bout je'us sooner
Who'd it take a fou' yea' ole ta get thru
Ta this sorry Ole man?
AMEN
Scheme | A BCXDXXDEFEXGHXDBXXXGBGXIBGXXJKHHLFHMCGXIFIAXDGBXBGXXGCCLNXNXJDDNDXXOOXXGKXMAX |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1011 111111 11111101 11111101 11011 01 1111111 1101001 11010011 0101 010111 111101 1011011 1011101 1010101 1111101110 11010011 1101011 1111011 11111 111101 1010111 1111111 110101 111111 1011 11011 11110111 1011111 11110111 1111 11111111 1111011 01111101 11010111 111101 1110111 011111 1111010111 011001101 10101111 11010111 1111111 0111101 11110111 11100111 111111111 11111111 1101111111 11111110 11111011 111111010 1011111 111111111 1101111111 111101101 1010101110 11111111 1011111101 11110111 111011111 11011111 1111 10101111 1111111111 1111111101 11111011 111111111 101111 11111111011 111111111111 1101011 11111 1111111 111111110 1110111111 111011 01 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 2,443 |
Words | 553 |
Sentences | 31 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 77 |
Lines Amount | 78 |
Letters per line (avg) | 22 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 876 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 263 |
About this poem
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. PSALMS 8 2
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