A Nursery Rhyme

A man of words & not of deeds,
Is like a garden full of weeds;
And when the weeds begin to grow,
It’s like a garden full of snow;
And when the snow begins to fall,
It’s like a bird upon the wall;
And when the bird away does fly,
It’s like an eagle in the sky;
And when the sky begins to roar,
It’s like a lion at the door;
And when the door begins to crack,
It’s like a stick upon your back;
And when your back begins to smart,
It’s like a pen-knife in your heart;
And when your heart begins to bleed,
You’re dead & dead & dead indeed.

from Marguerite de Angeli’s Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes