Another work by 'Afton Marsh, Bard of Vectis', newly prised, dried and restored from a pile of soggy papers:

The Goose 

Goose ! O Goose ! O Ganderie-goose !

Whither wand’rest thou ?

What dost thou in milady’s house ?

Anserine bird, how now ?

Goose ! O Goose ! O Ganderie-goose !

Wherefore within roam’st ?

The barnyard were thy proper place ;

The scatter’d corn thou comb’st.

Goose ! O Goose ! O Ganderie-goose !

Thy footfall on the stair :

Hither ; thither ; back and forth ;

Now up ; now down ; now where ?

Goose ! O Goose ! O Ganderie-goose !

What purpose dost thou seek ?

What thine hope, ambition ? O !

If only thou could’st speak !

Goose ! O Goose ! O Ganderie-goose !

No door to thee is barr’d :

Take care, my goose, lest thou should’st be

Hoist by thine own petard !

Goose ! O Goose ! O Ganderie-goose !

If that my lady fair

Should ope her door, her threshold shun—

Beware ! my goose, beware !

Goose ! O Goose ! O Ganderie-goose !

 ‘ Thou prayest not, I wis, ’

Yest’re’en I heard her cry, ‘ And so

‘ I fling thee down like this ! ’

Goose ! O Goose ! O Ganderie-goose !

Escape that old man’s doom :

Lest she should escalate thee too

O enter not her room ! 

© Steve Parkes 2013