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Cowardice

 Although you deem it far from nice,
 And it perchance may hurt you,
Let me suggest that cowardice
 Can masquerade as virtue;
And many a maid remains a maid
 Because she is afraid.

And many a man is chaste because
 He fears the house of sin;
And though before the door he pause,
 He dare not enter in:
So worse than being dissolute
 At home he plays the flute.

And many an old cove such as I
 Is troubled with the jitters,
And being as he's scared to die
 Gives up his gin and bitters;
While dreading stomach ulcers he
 Chucks dinner for high tea.

Well, we are wise. When life begins
 To look so dour and dark
'Tis good to jettison our sins
 And keep afloat the bark:
But don't let us claim lack of vice
 For what's plumb cowardice!

Poem by Robert William Service
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