Classic and Contemporary Poetry
OUTSIDE, by ISABEL ECCLESTONE MACKAY Poet's Biography First Line: When the night fire flares up red Last Line: Outside? Subject(s): Children; Childhood | ||||||||
WHEN the night fire flares up red Into the chimney wide, And I am s'posed to be in bed, I like to slip and hide Behind the back of father's chair And, when they quite forget I'm there, I like to think Of how the night is black as ink Outside! The poplar trees down in the park, All day so stiff with pride, Stand shivering inside the dark Quite limp and terrified I'd like to call out "Boo!" beneath, And listen to their chatt'ry teeth, ButI don't know To do it I should have to go Outside! Our black cat with her tail all still Is watching, yellow-eyed, Something beyond the window-sill That no one else has spied. Soon she will go with padding feet Out through the door and down the street. I think she knows What she won't tellexcept to those Outside! Of course there aren't witches now (What was that voice that cried?) I don't mind witches anyhow (Was that the wind that sighed?) For two brass pins I'd run around The house and through the croquet ground I'm brave myself But what if I should scare some elf Outside? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE THREE CHILDREN by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN CHILDREN SELECTING BOOKS IN A LIBRARY by RANDALL JARRELL COME TO THE STONE ... by RANDALL JARRELL THE LOST WORLD by RANDALL JARRELL A SICK CHILD by RANDALL JARRELL CONTINENT'S END by ROBINSON JEFFERS ON THE DEATH OF FRIENDS IN CHILDHOOD by DONALD JUSTICE THE POET AT SEVEN by DONALD JUSTICE A CHRISTMAS CHILD by ISABEL ECCLESTONE MACKAY |
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