Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE VALENTINE REGAINED, by ISABEL ECCLESTONE MACKAY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE VALENTINE REGAINED, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Way high up in the attic-room where me and billy
Last Line: "why, mother's name was jane, you know, oh long and long and long ago!"
Subject(s): Children; Love; Memory; Mothers; Childhood


WAY high up in the attic-room where me and Billy play,
There's lots and lots of lovely things that mother's put away,
And if we're good as good can be, why, we can have most all we see.

To-day we found a curyus box, the lock of it was gone,
And inside was a picture card with funny writing on,
"O fairest Jane, my heart is thine, accept from me this Valentine."

Billy, he didn't care for it but I thought it was sweet.
The picture was an angel-one with clouds wrapped round its feet.
From what it said inside 'twas plain the angel must have been called Jane.

I went straight down where mother was, to let her have a look,
Before I pasted it away in my new pasting-book,
But, when my mother saw it, she just took it right away from me.

She looked so funny and her face got such a lovely red,
"Why, it's my Valentine you've found!" was what my mother said,
And then she hid away her eyes, just like our Billy when he cries.

Only a minute though and then she smiled so sweet at me,
"Oh, what a puzzled face!" she said and took me on her knee—
"Why, mother's name was Jane, you know, Oh long and long and long ago!"





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