Poem - Oscar Walters

“When You’ve Been Here as Long as Me”

By Oscar Walters

I got upon his nerves, I guess—

And I know now that they were raw—

But he’d annoy me, I confess,

When he was laying down the law.

I used to say to him: “A man

Would think you owned Gallipoli.”

And every sentence he began:

“When you’ve been here as long as me.”

How foolish does It all seem now,

How far removed from commonsense;

But then each empty, childish row

Seemed fraught with direst consequence.

We used to argue every day.

I knew the way to hurt, and he

Knew that he only had to say:

“When you’ve been here as long as me.”

In fancy I can see him now,

And hear him say with spiteful mirth:

“I never waited, anyhow,

Until they pushed me out of Perth.

Oh! you’re a clever sort of chap;

But take my tip, son, it will be

Quite time enough for you to yap

When you’ve been here as long as me.”

The scars that marked the headlands old

The gentle hand of time has healed.

To him the story has been told,

To him the purpose is revealed.

And, as I puzzle o’er the plan,

From where he sleeps beside the sea

A whisper comes: “You’ll know, old man,

When you’ve been here as long as me.”