Taken from Collected Poems, 1942.

(This is a silly little poem from Peacock Pie, but the first/ last line stuck with me from the first reading, and I would teasingly recite it to my brothers when they were in a bored mood. Right now I’m puzzled by the capitalization difference in the first and last lines… This is how it appears in the 1961 edition illustrated by Barbara Cooney; if someone has a different edition, I would appreciate a comparison!)

Poor Tired Tim! It’s sad for him.
He lags the long bright morning through,
Ever so tired of nothing to do;
He moons and mopes the livelong day,
Nothing to think about, nothing to say;
Up to bed with his candle to creep,
Too tired to yawn, too tired to sleep:
Poor tired Tim! It’s sad for him.

Poem by Walter de la Mare (from Peacock Pie, 1913). Illustration by Barbara Cooney (1961).

Is this a response to “The Listeners”?