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John T. Baker

The Failure

He gained great wealth and wide acclaim
And princes came to call;
He saw within the Hall of Fame
His name upon the wall;
He heard the cheers of multitudes,
The critics spared no praise;
Attendants catered to his moods,
Good fortune filled his days;
He disregarded simple joys
And took no time to play
With all the little girls and boys
Who chanced to come his way;
He never had to scrimp and save,
He lived his life by plan,
And went at last into his grave,
A failure as a man.