Sam's Three Wishes; Or Life's Little Whirligig Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Walter De La Mare

Sam's Three Wishes; Or Life's Little Whirligig Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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I'm thinking and thinking said old Sam Shore	A
'Twere somebody knocking I heard at the door	A
	-
From the clock popped the cuckoo and cuckooed out eight	B
As there in his chair he wondering sate	B
There's no one I knows on would come so late	B
A clicking the latch of an empty house	C
With nobbut inside 'un but me and a mouse	C
Maybe a waking in sleep I be	D
And 'twere out of a dream came that tapping to me	D
At length he cautiously rose and went	E
And with thumb upon latch awhile listening bent	E
Then slowly drew open the door And behold	F
There stood a Fairy all green and gold	F
Mantled up warm against dark and cold	F
And smiling up into his candle shine	G
Lips like wax and cheeks like wine	G
As saucy and winsome a thing to see	D
As are linden buds on a linden tree	D
	-
Stock still in the doorway stood simple Sam	H
A ducking his head with Good e'en to 'ee Ma'am	H
	-
Dame Fairy she nods and cries clear and sweet	I
'Tis a very good e'en sir when such folks meet	I
I know thee Sam thou though wist not of me	D
And I'm come in late gloaming to speak with thee	D
Though my eyes do dazzle at glint of your rush	J
All under this pretty green fuchsia bush	K
	-
Sam ducked once more smiling simple and slow	L
Like the warbling of birds her words did flow	L
And she laughed very merry to see how true	M
Shone the old man's kindness his courtesy through	M
And she nodded her head and the stars on high	N
Sparkled down on her smallness from out of the sky	N
	-
A friend is a friend Sam and wonderful pleasant	O
And I'm come for old sake's sake to bring thee a present	O
Three wishes three wishes are thine Sam Shore	A
Just three wishes and wish no more	A
All for because ruby ripe to see	D
The pixy pears burn in yon hawthorn tree	D
And your old milch cow wheresoever she goes	P
Never crops over the fairy knowes	P
Ay Sam thou art old and thy house is lone	Q
But there's Potencies round thee and here is one	R
	-
Poor Sam he stared and the star o'erhead	O
A shimmering light on the elm tops shed	O
Like rilling of water her voice rang sweet	O
And the night wind sighed at the sound of it	O
He frowned glanced back at the empty grate	O
And shook very slowly his grey old pate	O
Three wishes my dear Why I scarcely knows	P
Which be my crany and which my toes	P
But I thank 'ee Ma'am kindly and this I'd say	P
That the night of your passing is Michaelmas Day	P
And if it were company come on a sudden	R
Why I'd ax for a fat goose to fry in the oven	R
	-
And lo and forsooth as the words he was uttering	S
A rich puff of air set his candle a guttering	S
And there rose in the kitchen a sizzling and sputtering	S
With a crackling of sparks and of flames a great fluttering	S
And of which here could not be two opinions	P
A smoking hot savour of sage and onions	P
Beam wall and flagstones the kitchen was lit	O
Every dark corner and cranny of it	O
With the blaze from the hearthstone Copper and brass	P
Winked back the winking of platter and glass	P
And a wonderful squeaking of mice went up	T
At the smell of a Michaelmas supper to sup	T
Unctuous odours that wreathed and swirled	O
Where'er frisked a whisker or mouse tail twirled	O
While out of the chimney up into the night	O
That ne'er to be snuffed too much smoke took flight	O
That's one says the Fairy finger on thumb	U
So now Mister Sam there's but two to come	U
She leaned her head sidelong she lifted her chin	V
With a twinkling of eye from the radiance within	V
Poor Sam stood astounded he says says he	D
I wish my old Mother was back with me	D
For if there was one thing she couldn't refuse	P
'Twas a sweet thick slice from the breast of a goose	P
But his cheek grew stiff and his eyes stared bright	O
For there on her stick pushing out of the night	O
Tap tapping along herself and no other	W
Came who but the shape of his dear old Mother	W
Straight into the kitchen she hastened and went	O
Her breath coming quick as if all but spent	O
Why Sam says she the bird be turning	S
For my nose tells I that the skin's a burning	S
And down at the oven the ghost of her sat	O
And basted the goose with the boiling fat	O
	-
Oho cries the Fairy sweet and small	X
Another wish gone will leave nothing at all	X
And Sam sighs Bless 'ee Ma'am keep the other	W
There's nowt that I want now I have my Mother	W
But the Fairy laughs softly and says says she	D
There's one wish left Sam I promised 'ee three	D
Hasten your wits the hour creeps on	Y
There's calling afield and I'm soon to be gone	Z
Soon as haps midnight the cocks will crow	L
And me to the gathering and feasting must go	L
	-
Sam gazed at his Mother withered and wan	Y
The rose in her cheek her bright hair gone	Z
And her poor old back bent double with years	P
And he scarce could speak for the salt salt tears	P
Well well he says I'm unspeakable glad	O
But it bain't quite the same as when I was a lad	O
There's joy and there's joy Ma'am but to tell 'ee the truth	A2
There's none can compare with the joy of one's youth	A2
And if it was possible how could I choose	P
But be back in boy's breeches to eat the goose	P
And all the old things and my Mother the most	O
To shine again real as my own gatepost	O
What wouldn't I give too to see again wag	B2
The dumpity tail of my old dog Shag	B2
Your kindness Ma'am but all wishing was vain	C2
Unless us can both be young again	D2
A shrill faint laughter from nowhere came	E2
Empty the dark in the candle flame	E2
	-
And there stood our Sam about four foot high	N
Snub nose shock hair and round blue eye	N
Breeches and braces and coat of him too	O
Shirt on his back and each clodhopping shoe	O
Had shrunk to a nicety button and hem	F2
To fit the small Sammie tucked up into them	F2
	-
There was his Mother too smooth dear cheek	G2
Lips as smooth as a blackbird's beak	G2
Pretty arched eyebrows the daintiest nose	P
While the smoke of the baking deliciously rose	P
	-
Come Sammie she cries your old Mammikin's joy	H2
Climb up on your stool supper's ready my boy	H2
Bring in the candle and shut out the night	O
There's goose baked taties and cabbage to bite	O
Why bless the wee lamb he's all shiver and shake	I2
And you'd think from the look of him scarcely awake	I2
If 'ee glour wi' those eyes Sam so dark and round	O
The elves will away with 'ee I'll be bound	O
So Sam and his Mother by wishes three	D
Were made just as happy as happy can be	D
And there with a bumpity tail to wag	B2
Sat laughing with tongue out their old dog Shag	B2
To clatter of patter bones giblets and juice	P
Between them they ate up the whole of the goose	P
	-
But time is a river for ever in flow	L
The weeks went by as the weeks must go	L
Soon fifty two to a year did grow	L
The long years passed one after another	W
Making older and older our Sam and his Mother	W
And alas and alack with nine of them gone	Z
Poor Shag lay asleep again under a stone	Q
And a sorrowful dread would sometimes creep	J2
Into Sam's dreams as he lay asleep	J2
That his Mother was lost and away he'd fare	K2
Calling her calling her everywhere	K2
In dark in rain by roads unknown	Q
Under echoing hills and alone alone	Q
What bliss in the morning to wake and see	D
The sun shining green in the linden tree	D
And out of that dream's dark shadowiness	D
To slip in on his Mother and give her a kiss	D
And go whistling off in the dew to hear	L2
The thrushes all mocking him sweet and clear	M2
	-
Still moon after moon from heaven above	N2
Shone on Mother and son and made light of love	N2
Her roses faded her pretty brown hair	K2
Had sorrowful grey in it everywhere	K2
And at last she died and was laid to rest	O
Her tired hands crossed on her shrunken breast	O
And Sam now lonely lived on and on	Y
Till most of his workaday life seemed gone	Z
	-
Yet spring came again with its green and blue	O
And presently summer's wild roses too	O
Pinks Sweet William and sops in wine	G
Blackberry lavender eglantine	G
And when these had blossomed and gone their way	P
'Twas apples and daisies and Michaelmas Day	P
Yes spider webs dew and haws in the may	P
And seraphs singing in Michaelmas Day	P
	-
Sam worked all morning and couldn't get rest	O
For a kind of a feeling of grief in his breast	O
And yet not grief but something more	A
Like the thought that what happens has happened before	A
He fed the chickens he fed the sow	D
On a three legged stool sate down to the cow	D
With a pail 'twixt his legs in the green in the meadow	L
Under the elm trees' lengthening shadow	L
And woke at last with a smile and a sigh	N
To find he had milked his poor Jingo dry	N
	-
As dusk set in even the birds did seem	O2
To be calling and calling from out of a dream	O2
He chopped up kindling shut up his shed	O
In a bucket of well water soused his head	O
To freshen his eyes up a little and make	I2
The drowsy old wits of him wider awake	I2
As neat as a womanless creature is able	P2
He swept up his hearthstone and laid the table	P2
And then o'er his platter and mug if you please	D
Sate gloomily gooming at loaf and cheese	D
Gooming and gooming as if the mere sight	O
Of his victuals could satisfy appetite	O
And the longer and longer he looked at them	F2
The slimmer slimmed upward his candle flame	E2
Blue in the air And when squeaked a mouse	D
'Twas loud as a trump in the hush of the house	D
Then sudden a soft little wind puffed by	N
'Twixt the thick thatched roof and the star sown sky	N
And died And then	D2
That deep dead wonderful silence again	D2
	-
Then soft as a rattle a counting her seeds	D
In the midst of a tangle of withered up weeds	D
Came a faint faint knocking a rustle like silk	Q2
And a breath at the keyhole as soft as milk	Q2
Still as the flit of a moth And then	D2
That infinitesimal knocking again	D2
	-
Sam lifted his chin from his fists He listened	O
His wandering eyes in the candle glistened	O
Then slowly slowly rolled round by degrees	D
And there sat a mouse on the top of his cheese	D
He stared at this Midget and it at him	R2
Over the edge of his mug's round rim	R2
And as if it were Christian he says Did 'ee hear	L2
A faint little tap tap tap tapping my dear	M2
You was at supper and me in a maze	D
'Tis dark for a caller in these lone days	D
There's nowt in the larder We're both of us old	O
And all of my loved ones sleep under the mould	O
And yet and yet as I've told 'ee before	A
	-
But if Sam's story you'd read to the end	O
Turn back to page and press onward dear friend	O
Yes if you would stave the last note of this song	S2
Turn back to page primus and warble along	S2
For all sober records of life come to write 'em	U
Are bound to continue well ad infinitum	U