DISOBEDIENCE - Anna Laetitia Barbauld Poems

 
 

Poems » anna latitia barbauld » disobedience

DISOBEDIENCE
          James James
          Morrison  Morrison
          Weatherby George Dupree
          Took great
          Care of his Mother,
          Though he was only three.
          James James
          Said to his Mother,
          "Mother", he said, said he;
    "You must never go down to the end of the town,
      if you don't go down with me."

          James James
          Morrison's Mother
          Put on a golden gown,
          James James
          Morrison's Mother
          Drove to the end of the town.
          James James
          Morrison's Mother
          Said to herself, said she:
    "I can get right down to the end of the town and be
      back in time for tea"

          King John
          Put up a notice,
          "LOST or STOLEN or STRAYED!
          JAMES JAMES
          MORRISON'S MOTHER
          SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISLAID.
          LAST SEEN
          WANDERING VAGUELY;
          QUITE OF HER OWN ACCORD,
      SHE TRIED TO GET DOWN TO THE END OF THE TOWN-
      FORTY SHILLINGS REWARD!

          James James
          Morrison Morrison
          (Commonly known as Jim)
          Told his
          Other relations
          Not to go blaming _him_.
          James James
          Said to his Mother,
          "Mother", he said, said he:
    "You must never go down to the end of the town with-
      out consulting me."

          James James
          Morrison's Mother
          Hasn't been heard of since.
          King John
          Said he was sorry,
          So did the Queen and Prince.
          King John
          (Somebody told me)
          Said to a man he knew:
    "If people go down to the end of the town, well,
      what can anyone do?"

(Now then, very softly)

          J. J.
          M. M.
          W. G. Du P.
          Took great
          C/o his M*****
          Though he was only 3.
          J. J.
          Said to his M*****
          "M*****", he said, said he:
    "You-must-never-go-down-to-the-end-of-the-town-if-
      you-don't-go-down-with-ME!"

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