Monday, August 18, 2008




IT'S A SAD, SAD STORY

We're all in dreadful trouble down in our house,Such an awful state of things you never saw.For Mother's gone and put us all in mourning,And I can't imagine what she's done it for.I know the baby's coughing rather badlyAnd our parrot died of grief a week ago,And so today I said to mother, sadly"Mother dear, why are you weeping so?"She raised her curly head... And took my hand and said...It's a sad, sad story...A terrible tale of woe,And it breaks my heart to tell youWhat happened so long ago.But it's just one yearSince your Papa was taken away,So we've all put on our mourningAnd we're all feeling sad today."Mother dear," I whispered, "tell me trueOur Father's story, wipe away your tears.Was he taken from us unexpected?...Or had you known the awful truth for years?Dad must have had a decent situation,He brought us lots of gifts from time to timeAnd though he must have spent long spells away, Ma,To leave, for us, cannot have been a crime.But she wept all the more... And whispered as before...It's a sad, sad story...A terrible tale of woe,And it breaks my heart to tell youWhat happened so long ago.But it's just one yearSince your Papa was taken away,So we've all put on our mourningAnd we're all feeling sad today.Mother, though I'm young, I think in Heaven,The angels will take pity on your pain.Dad's term in purgatory will soon be overAnd they will send him back to us again.And though the words I said were meant to comfortThey only seemed to add to poor Ma's grief,And in a voice so low I scarce could hear her,She murmered, "Time is not the only thing,I tried to tell you why,I tried dear, not to cry...It's a sad, sad story...A terrible tale of woe,And it breaks my heart to tell youWhat happened so long ago.But it's just one yearSince your Papa was taken away,So we've all put on our mourning...'Cos he comes out again today.

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