Young Maids & Old China Verses by F. W. Bourdillon. Pictures by J. G. Sowerby |
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WHY THE POPPY WAS LOVED THE BEST. |
 | Young Maids & Old China |  |
WHY THE POPPY WAS LOVED THE BEST.
Why do I love the poppy best,
Dolly dear, do you ask me why?
You think its smell is the nastiest
Of all the flowers, and you pass it by.
Dolly dear, do you ask me why?
You think its smell is the nastiest
Of all the flowers, and you pass it by.
Listen, Dolly!—Long, long ago,
When father dear, who is over the sea,
Was here in England, he used to go
Through the corn-fields hand in hand with me.
When father dear, who is over the sea,
Was here in England, he used to go
Through the corn-fields hand in hand with me.
And one hot day we were out together,
And he made me a bunch I could hardly hold
Of blue cornflowers, and purple heather,
And poppies like these, and marigold.
And he made me a bunch I could hardly hold
Of blue cornflowers, and purple heather,
And poppies like these, and marigold.
But oh, the sun was so hot in the skies,
And oh, so strong was the poppies' smell,
And my head ached so, that I shut my eyes,
And I felt so strange that I almost fell.
And oh, so strong was the poppies' smell,
And my head ached so, that I shut my eyes,
And I felt so strange that I almost fell.
But I found myself in father's arms;
He was kissing me, and I think he cried;
And I heard him murmuring one of the Psalms,
That David made when his little boy died.
He was kissing me, and I think he cried;
And I heard him murmuring one of the Psalms,
That David made when his little boy died.
And for many days how my head did rack!
But my father was, oh, so good to me;
And the smell of the poppies brings it all back,
And reminds me of him, now he's over the sea.
But my father was, oh, so good to me;
And the smell of the poppies brings it all back,
And reminds me of him, now he's over the sea.
| Young Maids & Old China | |