Thus the politician, weaklyOf the big things of the State;While the patient public, meeklyWait, and ever hopeful, wait;While he slyly woos their voteWith shrewd turnings of his coat.
But, in time, when other peoplePopulate this troubled world,Lo, from housetop and from steeple,Futile curses will be hurled Curses on the shiftless ones,Feckless robbers of their sons.
When the last good tree has witheredIn an arid, rainless clime,Then the weary soul who blitheredOf the verdancy of TimeWill grow restless in his grave,While his baulked descendants rave.
They will curse the generationThat has beggared them by stealth;Curse the mad procrastinationThat has robbed the land of wealth Wealth their foolish fathers spent,Reckless and improvident.
'What care we?' declare the spoilers.'We have ample for to-day!Other ages, other toilers Let them suffer as they may.Let the nation's hope be killed,That our bellies may be filled!
'If to-day our wealth be doubled,If to-day our trade be good,Why should we be plagued and troubledWith vague dreams of nationhood?For our selfish purpose weGaily rob prosperity.'
Robbers of coming race,Glibly crying 'In good time.'If one good ye had to faceSons, and answer for your crime,With that cry still in your throats,How, then, would ye scheme for votes?
About the author
About the poet
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century. Though Dennis's work is less well known today, his 1916 publication of The Sentimental Bloke sold 65,000 copies in its first year, and by 1917 he was the most prosperous poet in Australian history.
Together with Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, both of whom he collaborated with, he is often considered among Australia's three most famous poets.
When he died at the age of 61, the Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons suggested he was destined to be remembered as the "Australian Robert Burns".
Biography
C. J. Dennis was born in Auburn, South Australia. His father owned hotels in Auburn, and then later in Gladstone and Laura. His mother suffered ill health, so Clarrie (as he was known) was raised initially by his great-aunts, then went away to school, Christian Brothers College, Adelaide as a teenager.
At the age of 19 he was employed as a solicitor's clerk. It was while he was working in this job that, like banker's clerk Banjo Paterson before him, his first poem was published. He later went on to publish in The Bulletin.
C. J. Dennis is buried in Box Hill Cemetery, Melbourne. The Box Hill Historical Society have attached a commemorative plaque to the gravestone. Dennis is also commemorated with a plaque on Circular Quay in Sydney which forms part of the NSW Ministry for the Arts - Writers Walk series, and by a bust outside the town hall of the town of Laura.