Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BEDTIME STORIES, by WALT MASON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BEDTIME STORIES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Long years ago, when I was a small, not
Last Line: The sunlit seas to bring them dolls and christmas trees.
Subject(s): Childhood Memories; Night; Sleep; Bedtime


LONG years ago, when I was small, not more than forty inches tall, an ancient
woman used to tell fierce goblin stories passing well. Before I went to roost at

night, she'd spring those yarns with keen delight, and all the long dark night
I'd dream of horrid shapes, each one a scream. And now that I am old and gray,
and bent and worn, and full of hay, I fear the dark and all its hosts of witches

weird and sheeted ghosts, and only daylight can disperse the things that make
the night a curse. And oftentimes I go and fume around that foolish beldame's
tomb, and tell her—though she cannot hear—how she made night a thing
of fear. And even as we go to press fool dames are sowing long distress, by
telling kids, in solemn tones, dark tales of ghosts and bats and bones. Oh, tell

the children pleasant tales of silver ships with purple sails, that come across

the sunlit seas to bring them dolls and Christmas trees.





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