A Guest + 

Death, are you well? I trust you have no cough + 

That’s painful or in any way annoying⁠— + 

No kidney trouble that may carry you off, + 

Nor heart disease to keep you from enjoying + 

Your meals⁠—and ours. ’Twere very sad indeed + 

To have to quit the busy life you lead. + 

You’ve been quite active lately for so old + 

A person, and not very strong-appearing. + 

I’m apprehensive, somehow, that my bold, + 

Bad brother gave you trouble in the spearing. + 

And my two friends⁠—I fear, sir, that you ran + 

Quite hard for them, especially the man. + 

I crave your pardon: ’twas no fault of mine; + 

If you are overworked I’m sorry, very. + 

Come in, old man, and have a glass of wine. + 

What shall it be⁠—madeira, port or sherry? + 

What! just a mug of blood? That’s funny grog + 

To ask a friend for, eh? Well, take it, hog! + 