In gold and grey, with fleering looks of sin,
I watch them come; by two, by three, by four,
Advancing slow, with loutings they begin
Their woven measure, widening from the door;
While music-men behind are straddling in
With flutes to brisk their feet across the floor,-
And jangled dulcimers, and fiddles thin
That taunt the twirling antic through once more.
They pause, and hushed to whispers, steal away.
With cunning glances; silent go their shoon
On creakless stairs; but far away the dogs
Bark at some lonely farm: and haply they
Have clambered back into the dusky moon
That sinks beyond the marshes loud with frogs.
(Siegfried Sassoon)
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Based on Topics: Sin Poems, Dogs PoemsBased on Keywords: fiddles, twirling, jangled, taunt, antic, clambered, straddling, fleering, dulcimers, music-men