Spring and Winter ii

By William Shakespeare

1564-1616


WHEN icicles hang by the wall,
         And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,
And Tom bears logs into the hall,
         And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
         To-whit!
To-who!--a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

When all aloud the wind doe blow,
         And coughing drowns the parson's saw,
And birds sit brooding in the snow,
         And Marian's nose looks red and raw,
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
         To-whit!
To-who!--a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

DayPoems Poem No. 128
<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/poems/128.html">Spring and Winter ii by William Shakespeare</a>

The DayPoems Poetry Collection, www.daypoems.net
Timothy Bovee, editor

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