"What is he" by DH Lawrence.

Robin Wood posted this on his blog, and it is so good I just have to repost it here to make sure I can find it agin.

What is he? 

-A man, of course. 
Yes, but what does he do? 
-He lives and is a man.

Oh quite! But he must work.  He must have a job of some sort 
-Why? 
Because obviously he’s not one of the leisured classes. 
-I don’t know.  He has lots of leisure.  And he makes quite beautiful chairs.

There you are then!  He’s a cabinet maker. 
-No, no 
Anyhow a carpenter and a joiner. 
-Not at all.

But you said so 
-What did I say? 
That he made chairs and was a joiner and carpenter 
-I said he made chairs, but I did not say he was a carpenter.

All right then he is just an amateur? 
-Perhaps! would you say a thrush was a professional flautist, or just an amateur?

I’d say it was just a bird 
-And I say he is just a man. 

DH Lawrence