Brass Spitoons

Clean the spitoons, boy.
  Detroit,
  Chicago,
  Atlantic City,
  Palm Beach.
Clean the spitoons.
The steam in hotel kitchens,
And the smoke in hotel lobbies,
And the slime in hotel spitoons:
Part of my life.
  Hey, boy!
  A nickel,
  A dime,
  A dollar,
Two dollars a day.
  Hey, boy!
  A nickel,
  A dime,
  A dollar,
  Two dollars
Buys shoes for the baby.
House rent to pay.
Gin on Saturday,
Church on Sunday.
  My God!
Babies and girl and church
and women and Sunday
all mixed up with dimes and
dollars and clean spitoons
and house rent to pay.
  Hey, boy!
A bright bowl of brass is beautiful to the Lord.
Bright polished brass like the cymbals
Of King David’s dancers,
Like the wine cups of Solomon.
  Hey, boy!
A clean spitoon on the altar of the Lord.
A clean bright spitoon all newly polished⁠—
At least I can offer that.
  Com’ mere, boy!