Anonymous: Mattie Groves
The DayPoems Poetry Collection
Timothy Bovee, editor
www.daypoems.net



  Click on the bonsai for the next poem.



DayPoems Forum

Click to submit poems to DayPoems, comment on DayPoems or a poem within, comment on other poetry sites, update links, or simply get in touch. DayPoems Forum.

DayPoems Front

Poetry Whirl
  Latest Poetry News

Indexes
  Poems
  Poets
  Editor's poems
  Poetry Places

Poetry Places
  The Morpo Review
  The Ballad of the White Horse
  Brockmeyer, Jen - The Raven's Haven
  Fallen Angyls
  Writers Union of Canada
  Dean, Raymond Edward - Gently Among

Nodes powered by
Open Directory Project<br>at dmoz.org
Open Directory Project at dmoz.org


DayPoems Favorites

  PORT: An Online Visual Arts Journal
  A Poet on a Magical Journey Home
  Chronicles of a Sea Woman
  Parallels Studio
  Bipolar Poetry
  Mantra.X
  Poetry, Film and Books
  Poetry Archive

  Project Gutenberg, a huge collection of books as text, produced as a volunteer enterprise starting in 1990. This is the source of the first poetry placed on DayPoems.
  Tina Blue's Beginner's Guide to Prosody, exactly what the title says, and well worth reading.
  Epicanthic Fold: "If a guy somewhere in Asia makes a blog and no one reads it, does it really exist?"
  popomo.net, miniature, minimalist-inspired sculptures created from industrial cereamics, an art project at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
  pink.popomo.net, More projects from Portland
  oarena.net, Furby, Eliza, Mr_Friss and Miss_Friss.
  Save Point 0.8.1, a Portland, Oregon, exhibit, Aug. 13-Sept. 5, 2004, at Disjecta.




D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

Click here!
Won't you help support DayPoems?

Mattie Groves

17th Century


Child Ballad 81

A holiday, a holiday,
The first one of the year
Lord Arlen's wife came into church
The gospel for to hear.
And when the meeting it was done
She cast her eyes about
And there she saw little Mattie Groves,
Walking in the park.
Come home with me
Little Mattie Groves,
Come home with me tonight
Come home with me
Little Mattie Groves
And sleep with me tonight.
Oh I can't come home,
I won't come home
And sleep with you tonight
By the rings on your fingers
I can tell you are Lord Arlen's wife.
'Tis true I am Lord Arlen's wife,
Lord Arlen's not at home
He is out to the far corn fields,
Bringing the yearlings home.
And the sundt who was standing by
And hearing what was said
He saw Lord Arlen, he would know,
Before the sun would set.
And in his hurry to carry the news,
He filled his breast and ran
And when he came to the broad mill stream
He took off his shoes and swam
Little Mattie Groves, he lay down
And took a little sleep
When he awoke Lord Arlen,
Was standing at his feet
Saying how do you like my feather bed
And how do you like my sheets
And how do you like my lady,
Who lies in your arms asleep.
Oh well I like your feather bed
And well I like your sheets
But better I like your lady maid
Who lies in my arms asleep.
Well Get Up! Get Up! Lord Arlen cried,
Get up as quick as you can
It'll never be said in fair England
I slew a naked man!
Oh I won't get up, I won't get up,
I can't get up for my life
For you have two long beaten swords
And I have but a pocket knife.
Well it's true I have two beaten swords,
They cost me deep in the purse
But you will have the better of them
And I will have the worst.
And you will strike the very first blow
And strike it like a man
I will strike the very next blow
And I'll kill you if I can.
So Mattie struck the very first blow
And he hurt Lord Arlen sore
Lord Arlen struck the very next blow
And Mattie struck no more.
And then Lord Arlen he took his wife,
He sat her on his knee
Saying who do you like the best of us,
Mattie Groves or me.
And then spoke up his own dear wife
Never heard to speak so free
I'd rather kiss one dead Mattie's lips
Than you and your finery.
Lord Arlen he jumped up
And loudly he did bawl
He stuck his wife right through the heart
And pinned her against the wall.
A grave, a grave, Lord Arlen cried,
To put these lovers in
But bury my lady at the top
For she was of noble kin.


Back to top

DayPoems Poem No. 2544



Comment on DayPoems?

If you are like us, you have strong feelings about poetry, and about each poem you read. Let it all out! Comment on this poem, any poem, DayPoems, other poetry places or the art of poetry at DayPoems Feedback.



Won't you help support DayPoems?


Click here to learn more about how you can keep DayPoems on the Web . . .


Copyright

The DayPoems web site, www.daypoems.net, is copyright 2001-2005 by Timothy K. Bovee. All rights reserved.

The authors of poetry and other material appearing on DayPoems retain full rights to their work. Any requests for publication in other venues must be negotiated separately with the authors. The editor of DayPoems will gladly assist in putting interested parties in contact with the authors.

Google DayPoems


Support DayPoems.

Buy your books here

Latest Chapbooks from Powells!!!

 
Search:
Keywords:
In Association with Amazon.com







Bonsai courtesy of
The Online Bonsai Icon Collection
http://www.hav.com/tobic.html