You never see a decent figure’ead —
Not now, Bill said,
“A fiddlin’ bit o’ scroll-work at the bow
That’s the most now . . .
But Lord! I’ve seen some beauties, more’n a few,
An’ some rare rum uns, too.
“Folks in all sorts o’ queer old-fashioned rigs —
Fellers in wigs —
Chaps in cocked ‘ats an’ ‘elmets — lords an’ dukes —
Folks out o’ books —
Niggers in turbans — mandarins an’ Moors —
An’ ‘eathen gods by scores.
“An’ women in all kinds o’ fancy dresses —
Queens an’ princesses —
Witches on broomsticks, too — an’ spankin’ girls
With streamin’ curls —
An’ dragons, an’ sea-serpents — Lord knows what
I’ve seen an’ what I’ve not.
“An’ some’s in breakers’ yards, bleached bare with time
An’ thick with grime;
An’ some stuck up in gardens here an’ there
With plants for ‘air;
An’ no one left as knows but chaps like me
How fine with paint and gold they used to be
In them old days at sea.”
(Cicely Fox Smith)
More Poetry from Cicely Fox Smith:
Cicely Fox Smith Poems based on Topics: Kings & Queens- The Quest Of The Queen (Cicely Fox Smith Poems)
- Missing (Cicely Fox Smith Poems)
- The Rhyme Of The Four Strong Men (Cicely Fox Smith Poems)
- Resurrection (Cicely Fox Smith Poems)
- The King's Grief (Cicely Fox Smith Poems)
- The Three Ships (Cicely Fox Smith Poems)
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Based on Topics: Kings & Queens PoemsBased on Keywords: princesses, fellers, more, niggers, some, wigs, dukes, rigs, turbans, eathen, streamin