Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE WORKHOUSE BOY, by ANONYMOUS


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE WORKHOUSE BOY, by                    
First Line: The cloth vos laid in the vorkhouse hall
Last Line: That he vos push'd in by the overseers
Subject(s): Children;christmas;crimes & Criminals;poorhouses; "childhood;nativity, The;workhouses;


The cloth vos laid in the vorkhouse hall,
And the greatcoats hung on the vhitevash'd vall,
The paupers all vere blithe and gay,
Keeping their Christmas holiday;
Vhen the master he cried vith a roguish leer
"You'll all get fat on your Christmas cheer";
And each by his looks he seem'd to say
"I'll have some more soup on this Christmas day."

At length all on us to bed vos sent,
The boy vos missing, in search ve vent;
Ve sought him above, ve sought him below,
Ve sought him with faces of grief and voe.
Ve sought him that hour, ve sought him that night,
Ve sought him in fear, and ve sought him in fright,
Vhen a young pauper cried, "I knows ve shall
Get jolly vell vopt for losing our pal."

* * *

At length the soup copper repairs did need,
The coppersmith came -- and there he seed
A dollop of bones lay grizzling there,
In the leg of the breeches the boy did wear.
To gain his fill the boy did stoop,
And, dreadful to tell, he vos boiled in the soup,
And ve all on us say it, and say it vith sneers,
That he vos push'd in by the overseers.





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