Admiral Nelson
When I was a child, in the Forest of Dean
We would play 'hunt deer', like a King or a Queen,
We would hide in the forest 'til the sun went down
Then hurry off in terror from old man Brown.
He lived in the forest in a house on a hill
And he wore torn shirts and a hat of brown twill,
He carried round a gun that he fired in the air
When he saw us picking berries in the trees up there.
He lived with his sister who was Emily Maude
Who had never even married, she was much too odd.
To impressionable children, a frightening pair -
He with his shotgun, she with her hair.
For her hair blew wild, neither brushed nor combed
And it flew all over like a witch, old crone,
But she loved little children, so our parents said,
And warned, 'stay away, 'cause she's soft in the head! '
On All Hallows Eve we were up in the oak
Like brave Robin Hood, I was dressed in a cloak,
An old green scarf that my mother threw out
That I thought was impressive as a camouflage coat.
There was Jock, Jim, Sandy, then Elaine and me
We were up in the branches, in the boughs of the tree
While down keeping watch was Ashley on the ground,
Getting tired and sleepy as the day wound down.
So it was, she never heard the old man come
But soon, there he was, and was carrying his gun,
And Ashley was caught by the collar of her coat
While the sounds of her screams just died in her throat.
He lined us all up and marched us up the hill
At the point of his gun, and against our will,
And he said, 'Aunt Emmy's set you up for a treat,
For it's All Hallow's Eve - so, all you can eat! '
He marched us to the house, in a cold, dark room
We could barely see each other in the dark, in the gloom
Then he sat us at a table with a stained veneer
And he called, 'Hey Emmy, all the guests are here! '
She slid into the room like a wraith from a mist
And we all jumped together for she scared us to bits,
But she said, 'Now, children, there is no need to fret,
Tonight we'll have a party with the best fun yet.'
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poem by David Lewis Paget
Added by Poetry Lover
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