| |
| I DREAMT last night of you, John-John, | |
| And thought you called to me; | |
| And when I woke this morning, John, | |
| Yourself I hoped to see; | |
| But I was all alone, John-John, | 5 |
| Though still I heard your call; | |
| I put my boots and bonnet on, | |
| And took my Sunday shawl, | |
| And went full sure to find you, John, | |
| At Nenagh fair. | 10 |
| |
| The fair was just the same as then, | |
| Five years ago to-day, | |
| When first you left the thimble-men | |
| And came with me away; | |
| For there again were thimble-men | 15 |
| And shooting galleries, | |
| And card-trick men and maggie-men, | |
| Of all sorts and degrees; | |
| But not a sight of you, John-John, | |
| Was anywhere. | 20 |
| |
| I turned my face to home again, | |
| And called myself a fool | |
| To think you’d leave the thimble-men | |
| And live again by rule, | |
| To go to mass and keep the fast | 25 |
| And till the little patch; | |
| My wish to have you home was past | |
| Before I raised the latch | |
| And pushed the door and saw you, John, | |
| Sitting down there. | 30 |
| |
| How cool you came in here, begad, | |
| As if you owned the place! | |
| But rest yourself there now, my lad, | |
| ’Tis good to see your face; | |
| My dream is out, and now by it | 35 |
| I think I know my mind: | |
| At six o’clock this house you’ll quit, | |
| And leave no grief behind;— | |
| But until six o’clock, John-John, | |
| My bit you’ll share. | 40 |
| |
| The neighbours’ shame of me began | |
| When first I brought you in; | |
| To wed and keep a tinker man | |
| They thought a kind of sin; | |
| But now this three years since you’ve gone | 45 |
| ’Tis pity me they do, | |
| And that I’d rather have, John-John, | |
| Than that they’d pity you, | |
| Pity for me and you, John-John, | |
| I could not bear. | 50 |
| |
| Oh, you’re my husband right enough, | |
| But what’s the good of that? | |
| You know you never were the stuff | |
| To be the cottage cat, | |
| To watch the fire and hear me lock | 55 |
| The door and put out Shep— | |
| But there, now, it is six o’clock | |
| And time for you to step. | |
| God bless and keep you far, John-John! | |
| |
| And that’s my prayer. | 60 |
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