Kitteen
Kitteen
BYMargaret Kennedy
BYMargaret Kennedy
BY
Margaret Kennedy
I sat beside the ingle-nook,The fire was glowing;The pot was bubbling on the hook,The wind was blowing.In the shadows of the roomGhosts were hiding;From the furthest, deepest gloomThey came gliding.At the back of me I knewCrowds were creeping.Through the house the storm-wind blew,Flames went leaping,Awful shadows on the wallSet me screaming.Close at hand came Someone’s call:“Sure she’s dreaming!What have you seen?Kitteen!Tell us, what have you seen?”In the brown bog by the lakeThere are stacks of drying peat;When by chance that way I take,Past I run with flying feet;For once when, wandering carelessly,I came into that lonely place,I watched a peat stack close to meAnd saw it had a wrinkled face!All old women sitting round,Each one in a long brown cloak;They gazed and gazed upon the groundWith eyes like stones, and never spoke.Then I turned my back and fledUp our hill, with stumbling feet;In a doorway Someone said:“She’s as white as any sheet!What did you see?Kitteen machree!Tell us, what did you see?”
I sat beside the ingle-nook,The fire was glowing;The pot was bubbling on the hook,The wind was blowing.In the shadows of the roomGhosts were hiding;From the furthest, deepest gloomThey came gliding.At the back of me I knewCrowds were creeping.Through the house the storm-wind blew,Flames went leaping,Awful shadows on the wallSet me screaming.Close at hand came Someone’s call:“Sure she’s dreaming!What have you seen?Kitteen!Tell us, what have you seen?”In the brown bog by the lakeThere are stacks of drying peat;When by chance that way I take,Past I run with flying feet;For once when, wandering carelessly,I came into that lonely place,I watched a peat stack close to meAnd saw it had a wrinkled face!All old women sitting round,Each one in a long brown cloak;They gazed and gazed upon the groundWith eyes like stones, and never spoke.Then I turned my back and fledUp our hill, with stumbling feet;In a doorway Someone said:“She’s as white as any sheet!What did you see?Kitteen machree!Tell us, what did you see?”
I sat beside the ingle-nook,The fire was glowing;The pot was bubbling on the hook,The wind was blowing.In the shadows of the roomGhosts were hiding;From the furthest, deepest gloomThey came gliding.At the back of me I knewCrowds were creeping.Through the house the storm-wind blew,Flames went leaping,Awful shadows on the wallSet me screaming.Close at hand came Someone’s call:“Sure she’s dreaming!What have you seen?Kitteen!Tell us, what have you seen?”
I sat beside the ingle-nook,
The fire was glowing;
The pot was bubbling on the hook,
The wind was blowing.
In the shadows of the room
Ghosts were hiding;
From the furthest, deepest gloom
They came gliding.
At the back of me I knew
Crowds were creeping.
Through the house the storm-wind blew,
Flames went leaping,
Awful shadows on the wall
Set me screaming.
Close at hand came Someone’s call:
“Sure she’s dreaming!
What have you seen?
Kitteen!
Tell us, what have you seen?”
In the brown bog by the lakeThere are stacks of drying peat;When by chance that way I take,Past I run with flying feet;For once when, wandering carelessly,I came into that lonely place,I watched a peat stack close to meAnd saw it had a wrinkled face!All old women sitting round,Each one in a long brown cloak;They gazed and gazed upon the groundWith eyes like stones, and never spoke.Then I turned my back and fledUp our hill, with stumbling feet;In a doorway Someone said:“She’s as white as any sheet!What did you see?Kitteen machree!Tell us, what did you see?”
In the brown bog by the lake
There are stacks of drying peat;
When by chance that way I take,
Past I run with flying feet;
For once when, wandering carelessly,
I came into that lonely place,
I watched a peat stack close to me
And saw it had a wrinkled face!
All old women sitting round,
Each one in a long brown cloak;
They gazed and gazed upon the ground
With eyes like stones, and never spoke.
Then I turned my back and fled
Up our hill, with stumbling feet;
In a doorway Someone said:
“She’s as white as any sheet!
What did you see?
Kitteen machree!
Tell us, what did you see?”