Mack the Knife

Bertolt Brecht

 Next Poem          

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear
And he shows them pearly white.
Just a jack knife has Macheath, dear
And he keeps it out of sight.

When the shark bites with his teeth, dear
Scarlet billows start to spread.
Fancy gloves, though, wears Macheath, dear
So there's not a trace of red.

On the side-walk Sunday morning
Lies a body oozing life;
Someone's sneaking 'round the corner.
Is that someone Mack the Knife?

From a tugboat by the river
A cement bag's dropping down;
The cement's just for the weight, dear.
Bet you Mackie's back in town.

Louie Miller disappeared, dear
After drawing out his cash;
And Macheath spends like a sailor.
Did our boy do something rash?

Sukey Tawdry, Jenny Diver,
Polly Peachum, Lucy Brown
Oh, the line forms on the right, dear
Now that Mackie's back in town.

Next Poem 

 Back to Bertolt Brecht
Get a free collection of Classic Poetry ↓

Receive the ebook in seconds 50 poems from 50 different authors


To be able to leave a comment here you must be registered. Log in or Sign up.

Comments1
  • human1972

    WOW, BRECHT REALLY KNEW HOW TO PAINT A PICTURE WITH WORDS! THE IMAGERY IS EERIE BUT SO CAPTIVATING. COULDN'T HELP BUT FEEL AN UNEASY SENSE OF ANTICIPATION THROUGHOUT. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE BEAUTY AND THE DARKNESS IS REALLY POWERFUL. HIS WORK IS TIMELESS, STILL HOLDS UP AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!