My Father-In-Law And I

My father-in-law is a careworn man, And a silent man is he; But he summons a smile as well as he can Whenever he meets with me. The sign we make with a silent shake That speaks of the days gone by Like men who meet at a funeral My father-in-law and I. My father-in-law is a sober man (And a virtuous man, I think); But we spare a shilling whenever we can, And we both drop in for a drink. Our pints they fill, and we say, Ah, well! With the sound of the world-old sigh Like the drink that comes after a funeral My father-in-law and I. My father-in-law is a kindly man A domestic man is he. He tries to look cheerful as well as he can Whenever he meets with me. But we stand and think till the second drink In a silence that might imply That we’d both get over a funeral, My father-in-law and I.