 | English Roses |  |
STATE NURSING.
They wrapt It (yes, the People) up in clothes
And tied it round and round with many bands,
But gave it all things that a Baby loathes
And coddled with a thousand thousand hands;
They fed it and they bled it every hour
And fooled it and then cooled to give it power;
But wondered it grew thinner;
They laid it down in its grandmother's gown,
And lifted up for dinner;
They nursed it and they cursed whene'er it cried,
They blessed it and caressed it if it tried
To play the precious sinner.
And tied it round and round with many bands,
But gave it all things that a Baby loathes
And coddled with a thousand thousand hands;
They fed it and they bled it every hour
And fooled it and then cooled to give it power;
But wondered it grew thinner;
They laid it down in its grandmother's gown,
And lifted up for dinner;
They nursed it and they cursed whene'er it cried,
They blessed it and caressed it if it tried
To play the precious sinner.
They would not let it walk a single pace,
They did not grant its little limbs relief
And smothered both its body and the face
In silver paper or a handkerchief;
They stroked it and they poked its tiny chest,
They took it and they shook it till unrest
Pursued its sleep as well as waking;
They mocked its thumbs with pills like sugar plums,
And useless toys for ever breaking;
They teased it and appeased it with mere shams,
They told it who controlled it sheep were lambs
And idly left its heart more aching.
They did not grant its little limbs relief
And smothered both its body and the face
In silver paper or a handkerchief;
They stroked it and they poked its tiny chest,
They took it and they shook it till unrest
Pursued its sleep as well as waking;
They mocked its thumbs with pills like sugar plums,
And useless toys for ever breaking;
They teased it and appeased it with mere shams,
They told it who controlled it sheep were lambs
And idly left its heart more aching.
Its bonds were such that it could never grow,
With straps and checks and rules and patent laws
Which kept it in a helpless state below
And when it asked for freedom dealt it straws;
They washed it and they squashed it with new salves,
They shut it in and cut in cruel halves
Its few remaining cakes and pleasures,
And added pains of all the earthly chains
That could destroy the best of treasures;
They hedged it and they wedged it beyond harm,
They stopt it and they propt it from alarm
Until it could not breathe for measures.
With straps and checks and rules and patent laws
Which kept it in a helpless state below
And when it asked for freedom dealt it straws;
They washed it and they squashed it with new salves,
They shut it in and cut in cruel halves
Its few remaining cakes and pleasures,
And added pains of all the earthly chains
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They hedged it and they wedged it beyond harm,
They stopt it and they propt it from alarm
Until it could not breathe for measures.
They watched its going out and coming in,
They fenced its rising up and lying down
And tucked it close with bibs unto the chin
For fear of colds in country or in town;
They swaddled it and coddled it in gloves
Or smothered it and brothered it with loves,
And buried it beneath convention;
They carried it to guard against a fit,
Or fall or any least declension;
They made it as they bade it not run out,
To cure it and insure it from the gout,
And killed with overmuch attention.
They fenced its rising up and lying down
And tucked it close with bibs unto the chin
For fear of colds in country or in town;
They swaddled it and coddled it in gloves
Or smothered it and brothered it with loves,
And buried it beneath convention;
They carried it to guard against a fit,
Or fall or any least declension;
They made it as they bade it not run out,
To cure it and insure it from the gout,
And killed with overmuch attention.
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