Write by Return

Henry Lawson, 1896

      Clerk, corresponding,
             "Rooster and Comb",
      Here I sit idle
             "Thinking of home";
      I must be grafting —
             Living to earn,
      More correspondence,
             "Write by return."
      Clerk in employ of
             "Shoddy and Woods",
      Thinks that we have not
             Forwarded goods.
      Parcel we sent them —
             Missing, I learn,
      Says in his postscript:
             "Write by return."
      Here is another
             Letter from Bland —
      "Cheque he expected
             Isn't to hand."
      How we forgot it
             Cannot discern,
      "Forward remittance,
             Write by return."
      Here is another —
             O how they come?
      Treats of a "Bender"
             Planned by a chum.
      See on the margin,
             Big letters: "Burn
      After perusal —
             Write by return."
      Mail in from England,
             Letters for me —
      Dear little sweetheart
             Over the sea.
      "Quite broken-hearted,
             O how I yearn
      Only to see you. . . . 
             Write by return."
      One who will "never
             Think that I'm bad"
      Writes me a letter
             Tearful and sad.
      Thinks that I'm starving,
             Filled with concern,
      Sends me some money —
             "Write by return."
      Letter from father,
             Sent to his son,
      "All is forgiven —
             Fat calf for one."
      O that I ever
             Thought he was stern —
      Money for passage —
             Write by return.