Classic Poem

1

O once I had a true love
As bless't as I could be
Young Patty was my turtle dove
And Patty she loved me
We walked the fields together
By wild roses and woodbine
In summers sunshine weather
And Patty she was mine.

2

We stooped to gather primroses
And violets white and blue
In pastures and green closes
All blistered wi' the dew
We sat upon green mole hills
Among the daisey flowers
To hear the small birds merry thrills
And share the sunny hours.

3

The blackbird on her grassy nest
We would not scare away
Who nuzzling sat wi' scorchy breast
On her eggs for half the day —
The chaffinch cheep'd on the white thorn
And a pretty nest had she
The magpie chattered all the morn
From her nest upon the tree.

4

And I would go to Patty's cot
And Patty came to mine
As happy in each others thought
As birds at Valentine
And Patty had a kiss to give
And Patty had a smile
To bid me hope and bid me live
At every stopping stile.

5

We loved one summer quite away
And when another came
The cowslip close and sunny day
It found us much the same
We both looked on the self same thing
Till both became as one
The birds did in the hedges sing
And happy time went on.

6

The brambles from the hedge advance
In love wi' Patty's eyes
On flowers like lady's at a dance
Flew scores of butterflies
I claimed a kiss at every stile
And had her kind replies
The bees did round the woodbines toil
Where sweet the small wind sighs.

7

Then my Patty was a young thing
And now she's past her teens
And we've been married many springs
And mixed in many scenes
And I'll be true for Patty's sake
And she'll be true for mine
And I this little ballad make
To be her valentine.