A White Lie

A bloke in the pub came up to me he shouted hi there you ne'er do well
Are you that Francis Duggan the man of doggerel
He smiled a silly toothy smile the gap showed in his teeth
Some people when they are drunk they are not nice to meet.

For to be called a doggerelist in public is such an insulting thing
A poet or a song-writer to them have a far more pleasant ring
But to argue with a drunk man is not prudent or wise
I said you've got the wrong man sir someone has told you lies.

To think he had the wrong man to him was a surprise
He said I'm sorry matey I do apologize
I told him not to worry that all was quite okay
We then shook hands in parting some times white lies do pay.

I could have bought him a beer and with him sung a song
But a white lie on such an occasion did not at all seem wrong
I am a private person and my interests are my own
And as a doggerel writer who would wish to be known.

The bloke had one too many the booze had gone to his head
And tomorrow he won't recall anything he had said
And though I felt insulted I did not show offence
To keep calm on such occasions does make for better sense.