He knows what it means to slave all day,
And at night eat the vilest of fare;
What a tale he can tell of loathsome bunks,
Cramped quarters, and noisome air.
He knows what the end of it all will be
When he crosses the line at the goal;
A rough, pine box, and a pauper’s grave
And he has paid his toll.
THE HOBO’S OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS ON LIFE
The poets who have written best about the tramp are those who have recorded their reflections on their own life and his. Robert W. Service sees in “The Men That Don’t Fit In” a great group of wanderers who move here and there in response to an imperious wanderlust.