Until His Last Day He Will Gamble Poem by Francis Duggan

I have never yet seen him happy he has no good reason to smile
He's out of work living on welfare like an ageing workhorse worn from toil
A fellow in his early sixties his better days for him long gone
And the only thing that keeps him living is the will that he has to live on.

He fathered a son in the seventies but he is not what you'd call a good dad
He left his girlfriend with the baby that's life and life can be so sad
Another man raised his son for him the son he has not seen for years
The past he will tell you is over and for the past he doesn't shed tears

He gambled his wages on horses and he lost far more than he did win
The favourites are not always winners that's why bookies are wealthy men
But now that he must live off of welfare the bets that he place are quite small
Still the dream of a big win still with him and hope is one of the greatest gifts of all.

He has always been addicted to gambling and he'll be a gambler till the day he die
The lust for to gamble is in him and his vices he will not deny
He doesn't have much to smile about lately his income small and his winners are few
But he lives in hope of a big win since a big win he feels he is due.

He is a good sort of a fellow but gambling on horses has been his downfall
His few good big wins he remembers though he has bigger losses to recall
Like all of us he has his vices the pefect human doesn't exist
Until his last day he will gamble since a gamble he cannot resist