But for these lucky accidents (by KB)

Were I not tall and suave and handsome
were I not famed for my glamorous Byronic love-affairs had not each of my books sold riotously
had not my fists made strong men cringe

did not my several conversions
enlist further hordes of followers
and did not everything I turned to
make me big money

despite my almost glorious
good health of both body and mind
how in God's name
could I through all these years
have held up and held out and held on?

Kenneth Burke

In COMMUNICATION AND THE HUMAN CONDITION edited by Lee Thayer