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The early poems of John Clare

1804-1822: General editor Eric Robinson: Edited by Eric Robinson and David Powell: Associate editor Margaret Grainger

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406

ANOTHER

[Away wi the puling of asses]

Away wi the puling of asses
Such foolishness Ise never bears
To sob & sigh over the lasses
As children wine over their prayers
No Gi' me the boy wi a true soul
That loves women next to good ale
Wi out stoop[ing] to kissing their shoe soal
Or dye if addresses shoud fail
Ding we wool hearts of a strap black
The Wimsies of woman to please
While stout hearted sons of the knapsack
Stick up for such trifles as these
One boy with his red coat & feather
Does more then a dozen of clowns
He crazes whole hamlets together
& wives hardly keep within bounds
When I wore my lace & a red coat
I needed no sweethearts—not I
A look of ones eye tho I sed nought
Woud keep me in constant supply
& at e[v]rey fair we was stopping
Our dresses so bumpsious & gay
Set scores a clowns noses adropping
By tempting their honeys away
& now Im returnd from the rackets
Of Soldiers rare frolics & fun
& lost all the power of gilt jackets
By which many maids have bin won

407

Ill yield to my loss like a true soul
& prize women next to good ale
But neer stoop to kissing their shoe soal
Nor die now adresses does fail