Barre close as you can, and bolt fast too your doore,
To keep out the Letcher, and keep in the whore:
Yet, quickly you'l see by the turne of a pin,
The Whore to come out, or the Letcher come in.

A Bansha Peeler wint won night
On duty and pathrollin' O,
An' met a goat upon the road,
And tuck her for a sthroller O.
Wud bay'net fixed he sallied forth,
An' caught her by the wizzen O,
An' then he swore a mighty oath,
" I'll send you off to prison O. "

" Oh, mercy, sir! " the goat replied,
" Pray let me tell my story O!
I am no rogue, no Ribbonman,
No Croppy, Whig, or Tory O;
I'm guilty not of any crime
Of petty or high thraison O,
I'm sadly wanted at this time,
For this is the milkin' saison O. "

I.
Banner of England, not for a season, O banner of Britain, has thou
Floated in conquering battle or flapt to the battle-cry!
Never with mightier glory than when we had rear'd thee on high
Flying at top of the roofs in the ghastly siege of Lucknow--
Shot thro' the staff or the halyard, but ever we raised thee anew,
And ever upon the topmost roof our banner of England blew.
II.

Frail were the works that defended the hold that we held with our lives--
Women and children among us, God help them, our children and wives!

Banish the scent of sherry and cigars,
Throw back the shutters, quench the cultured light,
Let in the air. O fresher than the stars
The rank, primeval innocent smell of night!

The ball-room was filled with fashions throng,
It shone with a thousand lights,
And there was a woman who passed along,
The fairest of all the sights,
A girl to her lover then softly sighed,
There's riches at her command;
But she married for wealth, not for love he cried,
Though she lives in a mansion grand.

Chorus

She's only a bird in a gilded cage,
A beautiful sight to see,
You may think she's happy and free from care,
She's not, though she seems to be,
'Tis sad when you think of her wasted life,

A ball of fire shoots through the tamarack
In scarlet splendor, on voluptuous wings;
Delirious joy the pyrotechnist brings,
Who marks for us high summer's almanac.
How instantly the red-coat hurtles back!
No fiercer flame has flashed beneath the sky.
Note now the rapture in his cautious eye,
The conflagration lit along his track.
Winged soul of beauty, tropic in desire,
Thy love seems alien in our northern zone;
Thou giv'st to our green lands a burst of fire
And callest back the fables we disown.
The hot equator thou mightst well inspire,

The baker's boy delivers loaves
All up and down our street.
His car is white, his clothes are white,
White to his very feet.
I wonder if he stays that way.
I don't see how he does all day.
I'd like to watch him going home
When all the loaves are out.
His clothes must look quite different then,
At least I have no doubt.

Baith gude and fair and womanly,
Debonair, steadfast, wise and true,
Courteous, humill and lawlie,
And groundit weill in all virtue,
To whose service I sall pursue
Worship without villany,
And ever anon I sall be true,
Baith gude and fair and womanly.

Honour for ever unto that free
That nature formit has so fair;
In worship of her fresh beautie
To Luvis court I will repair,
To serve and luve without despair,
Forthy I wat her most worthy
For to be callit our allwhere
Baith gude and fair and womanly.

An Ode

In Celebration of the Centenary of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

I

Backward among the dusky years
A lonesome lamp is seen arise,
Lit by a few fain pioneers
Before incredulous eyes. —
We read the legend that it lights:
" Wherefore beholds this land of historied rights
Mild creatures, despot-doomed, bewildered, plead
Their often hunger, thirst, pangs, prisonment,

Back water rising:
southern people can't make no time
I said back water rising:
southern people can't make no time
And I can't get no hearing
from that Memphis gal of mine

Water all in Arkansas:
people screaming in Tennessee
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh:
people screaming in Tennessee
If I don't leave Memphis
back water been all over poor me

People, cinch it's raining:
it has been for nights and days
People, it's a cinch it's raining:
has been for nights and days
Thousand people stands on the hill