Rime of the Ancient Ex-Mariner

It is an ancient Mariner,
And he hitteth one of four.
`By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
We ask however more?

He holds him with his skinny hand,
"There was a stretch," quoth he.
`Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!'
Eftsoons his hand dropped he.

He holds him with his glittering eye -
The bolging guest stood still,
And listens like a three years' child:
The Mariner hath his will.

The bolging guest sat on a stone:
He cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

"The team was cheered, the field was cleared,
Merrily did we drop
I hitteth well, but fate befell,
And the hitting it doth stop"

The sun came up upon the left,
Out of Reading came he!
And he shone bright, though Ruben's right
Stayed down not challenge me.

Higher and higher every day,
Till over the mast at noon -"
The bolging guest here beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon.

The bolging guest he beat his breast,
Yet he cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

"And now to Lehigh Valley came, and he
Was tyrannous and strong:
He struck with his o'ertaking swings,
And chased me along.

With sloping masts and dipping prow,
As who pursued with yell and blow
Still treads the shadow of his foe,
And foward bends his head,
The home runs stopped, OPS dropped,
And southward aye we fled.

And a good south wind sprung up behind;
The whispers all did follow,
And every day, with each bad play,
Came to the mariner's hollo!

`God save thee, ancient Mariner,
From the fiends that plague thee thus! -
Why look'st thou so?' -"Bolging fellow
I am the Albatross."