The Old Bark Hut Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDEBEAFGFHIBIIEBE JKLKMBNBOLBLPBQBRSBS ATBTUVWXBBTBIJQJBYZY A2IB2ILBC2D2E2TF2HBG 2H2G2I2BTBJ2IK2IL2M2 N2M2O2BP2BO2Q2M2A2R2 TS2HBT2M2T2U2M2V2M2B W2GW2X2BR2BM2M2LM2M2 Y2M2Y2M2M2M2M2M2BZ2B J2M2M2M2BM2M2M2M2M2H M2A3BM2BHKB3KM2G2M2G 2BM2C3M2

In an old bark hut on a mountainsideA
In a spot that was lone and drearB
A woman whose heart was aching satC
Watching from year to yearB
A small boy Jim her only childD
Helped her to watch and waitE
But the time never came when they could go freeB
Free from the bond of hateE
For McConnel was out on the mountainsideA
Living without a hopeF
And seeing nothing before him nowG
But death by a hangman s ropeF
Hated and chased by his fellow menH
To take him alive or deadI
An outlaw banned by the world was heB
With five hundred pounds on his headI
A message had come that evening which saidI
Now Jim you mustn t waitE
If you want to save your father orB
By heaven you ll be too lateE
He s out at Mackinnon s Crossing they sayJ
The track is rough old manK
But if any here can do it whyL
It s you and old Darky canK
And Jim knew well what the message meantM
As he brought his horse to the doorB
While away through the gathering darkness cameN
The sound of the river s roarB
But the brave little heart never faltered asO
He stooped to kiss her good byeL
And said God bless you Mother dearB
I ll save Dad tonight or I ll dieL
The old horse answered the touch of his handP
And galloped away from the doorB
He seemed to know twas a journey for lifeQ
Well he d done such journey s beforeB
Out from the firelight and through the railsR
Out through the ghastly treesS
While all the time the warning roarB
Of the river came back on the breezeS
Steadily down the mountainsideA
He rode for his course was plainT
Though his heart was heavy though not with fearB
But because of that brand of CainT
The boy thinks over his mother s last wordsU
I ll love him as long as I liveV
He must have time for repentance on earthW
But surely God will forgiveX
As he glanced back over his shoulder thereB
She stood by the light of the doorB
Trying to pierce the darkness in vainT
Thinking she d see him no moreB
Then as he looked she bowed her headI
And slowly turned awayJ
And the boy knew that the noble wifeQ
Had knelt by the bed to prayJ
Mile after mile hour after hourB
And then just ahead shining and whiteY
Was the foam of Mackinnon s CrossingZ
What a jump for old Darky tonightY
And then Jim thinks of the long lone yearsA2
And the hopes that are crushed and deadI
And a woman whose heart is as true as steelB2
As rue as the day she was wedI
As she loved him then in the years gone byL
When the future held promise in storeB
So she loved him today when the future heldC2
Naught but death by his country s lawD2
Jim pressed his knees to the saddle flapE2
And tightened his hold on the reinT
They had jumped the river last summertimeF2
How he hoped they would do it againH
Then a voice rang out through the darkness thereB
Hold now hold stand stillG2
We know you lad it s too late to runH2
Hands up or we ll shoot to killG2
Then he knew that the police were around himI2
In the darkness they moved to and froB
For an instant he pulled on the bridle reinT
But he d promised his mother he d goB
And he thought of the poor sad woman aloneJ2
Kneeling in prayer by the bedI
So he loosened the reins on old Darky s neckK2
And rushed at the river aheadI
Then a volley rang out through the forest darkL2
A fall in the roaring floodM2
And the darkness hid from all human eyesN2
The form that was stained with bloodM2
The horse struggled hard the waters rushed onO2
He sank to rise no moreB
But the boy fought the flood in silence inchP2
By inch to the other shoreB
Slowly and sadly but bravely onO2
Brushing away the tearsQ2
He was leaving behind in the river s floodM2
His friend and companion for yearsA2
And all the time the blood trickled downR2
O God what a hot burning painT
And he knew he was doing is duty cleanS2
He would never come back againH
Staggering in through the yielding doorB
Into the cold dark roomT2
Where his father lay and the faint firelightM2
Showed through the ghostly gloomT2
The bushranger sprang to his feet in alarmU2
And levelled the gun at his headM2
And his loud voice demanded Who are youV2
Speak quick or you are deadM2
And then a weak little voice made answerB
It s me Mother sends you her loveW2
The police are back at the crossing nowG
So clear out and meet Mother aboveW2
Then McConnel placed his gun by the wallX2
And knelt on the cold hard floorB
And somehow the tears came rushing downR2
As they never had beforeB
His arms went around the brave little ladM2
He nursed his head on his breastM2
He seemed to know that the end was nighL
And Jim would soon be at restM2
And the boy was speaking feebly at lastM2
They shot me back at the creekY2
And old Darky is dead and gone DadM2
And oh I m so tired and weakY2
Then his voice fell away in a whisper softM2
So faint it could scarce be heardM2
Oh Dad clear out they are coming fastM2
Tell Mother I kept my wordM2
Quickly in silence the police gathered aroundM2
They had captured the beast in his lairB
The outlaw sat with his boy in his armsZ2
He semed not to heed nor to careB
He was thinking now of the seed he had sownJ2
He was tasting its bitter fruitM2
When the sergeant stepped to the door and saidM2
McConnel bail up or I ll shootM2
Then the sergeant placed a lamp by the doorB
The rifles gleamed out in the lightM2
But the outlaw said Sergeant O DradyM2
Let s have no more shooting tonightM2
You can take me now to the judgement seatM2
As God has taken this ladM2
You d die to take my life you menH
He died to save his dadM2
I want you to help me dig his graveA3
And perhaps you will say a prayerB
Then you can take me and hang me deadM2
It s my wife or I wouldn t careB
Carefully now Oh thank you menH
Lay him as best you canK
The policeman is shown by his coat of courseB3
But the tears well they show the manK
Then the party went back to the old bark hutM2
As the sun was mounting the hillG2
No smoke arose from the chimney coldM2
And all was silent and stillG2
The sergeant opened the creaky doorB
And lifted his cap with a startM2
Ah McConnel had broken the country s lawsC3
And broken a woman s heartM2

Anonymous Oceania



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