A Derry on a Cove by Henry Lawson — Read

'Twas in the felon's dock he stood, his eyes were black and blue; / His voice with grief was broken, and his nose was broken, too; / He muttered, as that broken nose he wiped upon his cap -- / ‘It's orful when the p'leece has got a derry on a chap.

‘I am a honest workin' cove, as any bloke can see, / It's just because the p'leece has got a derry, sir, on me; / Oh, yes, the legal gents can grin, I say it ain't no joke -- / It's cruel when the p'leece has got a derry on a bloke.'

‘Why don't you go to work? ' he said (he muttered, ‘Why don't you? '). / ‘Yer honer knows as well as me there ain't no work to do. / And when I try to find a job I'm shaddered by a trap -- / It's awful when the p'leece has got a derry on a chap.'

I sigh'd and shed a tearlet for that noble nature marred, / But, ah! the Bench was rough on him, and gave him six months' hard. / He only said, ‘Beyond the grave you'll cop it hot, by Jove! / There ain't no angel p'leece to get a derry on a cove. '