Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE OLD LINE FENCE, by AMERICUS WELLINGTON BELLAW


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE OLD LINE FENCE, by                    
First Line: Zig-zagging it went
Last Line: And no line fence.
Subject(s): Fences


ZIG-ZAGGING it went
On the line of the farm,
And the trouble it caused
Was often quite warm,
THE OLD LINE FENCE.
It was changed every year
By decree of the court,
To which, when worn out,
Our sires would resort
WITH THE OLD LINE FENCE.
In hoeing their corn,
When the sun, too, was hot,
They surely would jaw,
Punch or claw, when they got
TO THE OLD LINE FENCE.
In dividing the lands
It fulfilled no desires,
But answered quite well
In "dividing" our sires,
THIS OLD LINE FENCE.
Though sometimes in this
It would happen to fail,
When, with top rail in hand,
One would flare up and scale
THE OLD LINE FENCE!
Then the conflict was sharp
On debatable ground,
And the fertile soil there
Would be mussed far around
THE OLD LINE FENCE.
It was shifted so oft
That no flowers there grew.
What frownings and clods,
And what words were shot through
THE OLD LINE FENCE!
Our sires through the day
There would quarrel or fight,
With a vigour and vim,
But 'twas different at night
BY THE OLD LINE FENCE.
The fairest maid there
You would have descried
That ever leaned soft
On the opposite side
OF AN OLD LINE FENCE.
Where our fathers built hate
There we builded our love,
Breathed our vows to be true
With our hands raised above
THE OLD LINE FENCE.
Its place might be changed,
But there we would meet,
With our heads through the rails,
And with kisses most sweet,
AT THE OLD LINE FENCE.
It was love made the change,
And the clasping of hands
Ending ages of hate,
And between us now stands
NOT A SIGN OF LINE FENCE.
No debatable ground
Now enkindles alarms.
I've the girl I met there,
And, well, both of the farms,
AND NO LINE FENCE.





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