Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, OUR CHERRIES, by ANONYMOUS



Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

OUR CHERRIES, by                    
First Line: "see those cherries, how they cover"
Last Line: Anything -- to save our cherries
Subject(s): Cherries;fruit


See those cherries, how they cover
Yonder sunny garden wall:
Had they not that network over,
Thieving birds would eat them all.
So, to guard our posts and pensions,
Ancient sages wove a net,
Through whose holes, of small dimensions,
Only certain knaves can get.
Shall we then this network widen?
Shall we stretch these sacred holes,
Through which, even already, slide in
Lots of small dissenting souls?
"God forbid!' old Testy crieth;
"God forbid!' so echo I;
Every ravenous bird that flieth
Then would ar our cherries fly.
Ope but half an inch or so,
And, behold, what bevies break in;
Here, some cursed old Popish crow
Pops his long and lickerish beak in;
Here, sly Arians flock unnumbered,
And Socinians, slim and spare,
Who, with small belief encumbered,
Slip in easy any where;
Methodists, of birds the aptest,
Where there's pecking going on;
And that water-fowl, the Baptist --
All would share our fruits anon;
Ev'ry bird, of ev'ry city,
That, for years, with ceaseless din,
Hath reversed the starling's ditty,
Singing out "I can't get in.'
"God forbid!' old Testy snivels;
"God forbid!' I echo too;
Rather may ten thousand devils
Seize the whole voracious crew!
If less costly fruit won't suit 'em,
Hips and haws, and such like berries,
Curse the corm'rants! stone 'em, shoot 'em,
Any thing -- to save our cherries.






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