A little lad,–bare wor his feet,
His ‘een wor swell’d an red,
Wor sleepin, one wild New Year’s neet,–
A cold doorstep his bed.
His little curls wor drippin weet,
His clooas wor thin an old,
His face, tho’ pinched, wor smilin sweet,–
His limbs wor numb wi’ cold.
Th’ wind whistled throo th’ deserted street,
An snowflakes whirled abaat,–
It wor a sorry sooart o’ neet,
For poor souls to be aght.
‘Twor varry dark, noa stars or mooin,
Could shine throo sich a storm;–
Unless some succour turns up sooin,
God help that freezin form!
A carriage stops at th’ varry haase,–
A sarvent oppens th’ door;
A lady wi’ a pale sad face,
Steps aght o’th’ cooach to th’ floor.
Her ‘een fell on that huddled form,
Shoo gives a startled cry;
Then has him carried aght o’th’ storm,
To whear its warm an dry.
Shoo tended him wi’ jewelled hands,
An monny a tear shoo shed;
For shoo’d once had a darlin lad
But he, alas! wor dead.
This little waif seemed sent to cheer,
An fill her darlin’s place;
An to her heart shoo prest him near,
An kissed his little face.
(John Hartley)
More Poetry from John Hartley:
John Hartley Poems based on Topics: Faces, Place, God, Cry- Natty Nancy (John Hartley Poems)
- An Old Man's Christmas Morning (John Hartley Poems)
- Th' State O' Th' Poll. A Nop Tickle Illusion (John Hartley Poems)
- Who Cares? (John Hartley Poems)
- Billy Bumble's Bargain (John Hartley Poems)
- All We Had (John Hartley Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Faces Poems, Place Poems, Cry PoemsBased on Keywords: noä, throo, aght, monny, varry, whear, clooas, sooin, twor, drippin, abaat
- M'Fingal - Canto III (John Trumbull Poems)
- The Mountain Of The Lovers (Paul Hamilton Hayne Poems)
- The Hind And The Panther, A Poem In Three Parts : Part I. (John Henry Dryden Poems)
- The Minstrel; Or, The Progress Of Genius : Book I. (James Beattie Poems)
- The Tragedy of White Injustice (Marcus Mosiah Garvey Poems)