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Toothache Poem:
Address To The Toothache
By Robert Burns
My curse upon your venom'd stang,
That shoots my tortur'd gums alang,
An' thro' my lug gies mony a twang,
Wi' gnawing vengeance,
Tearing my nerves wi' bitter pang,
Like racking engines!
When fevers burn, or argues freezes,
Rheumatics gnaw, or colics squeezes,
Our neibor's sympathy can ease us,
Wi' pitying moan;
But thee-thou hell o' a' diseases-
Aye mocks our groan.
Adown my beard the slavers trickle
I throw the wee stools o'er the
mickle,
While round the fire the giglets
keckle,
To see me loup,
While, raving mad, I wish a heckle
Were in their doup!
In a' the numerous human dools,
Ill hairsts, daft bargains, cutty
stools,
Or worthy frien's rak'd i' the mools,
-
Sad sight to see!
The tricks o' knaves, or fash
o'fools,
Thou bear'st the gree!
Where'er that place be priests ca'
hell,
Where a' the tones o' misery yell,
An' ranked plagues their numbers
tell,
In dreadfu' raw,
Thou, Toothache, surely bear'st the
bell,
Amang them a'!
O thou grim, mischief-making chiel,
That gars the notes o' discord
squeel,
Till daft mankind aft dance a reel
In gore, a shoe-thick,
Gie a' the faes o' Scotland's weal
A townmond's toothache!
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