Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PENNY-A-YARD, by WILLIAM MCQUEEN (1841-)


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PENNY-A-YARD, by                    
First Line: There's an auld wizzen'd figure
Last Line: Penny-a-yard! Etc.


THERE'S an auld wizzen'd figure
That crawls alang the street,
Wi' a coul upon his head,
And wi' bauchles on his feet;
He keeps ayont the kerb,
And he croons until himsel',
But the words come soughing saft,
Like the echoes doon a well --
Penny-a-yard! penny-a-yard!
Only a penny! penny-a-yard!

Owre his shouthers and his duds
Hang the proceeds o' his craft,
Shining bricht against the rags,
Like a ray on cob-webb'd laft,
Fa'ing through a colour'd winnock;
And they clink a treble part,
To the low yet quaint refrain
That seems welling from his heart; --
Penny-a-yard! etc.

In half-text, upon his sleeve
Preen'd, are words will mak' ye quail
Gin ye're squeamish; for wi' stumpy
He's a desperate haun to rail,
At everything and ocht,
In big words he canna spell;
And he sweers some awfu' sweers
When he's fou and disna' sell.
Penny-a-yard! etc.

For he drinks, the body, whyles --
'Deed, as often as he can,
Jist to prove he's no a beast,
But a reasonable man.
A thing micht else be dooted,
As ye watch him creep alang,
Dark and thrawn, unkempt and crooket,
Tearing fiercely at his sang.
Penny-a-yard! etc.

He's a sair forfoughten body
Even at the very best;
He's a bit o' Auld St. Mungo
If a bit o' an auld pest;
And there's mony fouks wad miss him
Should he cease to snooze alang
Wi' his chains and wi' his pliers,
And the burden o' his sang.
Penny-a-yard! etc.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net