Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THREE HAGS COME VISITING, by EDWARD SAPIR


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THREE HAGS COME VISITING, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Those hags are in the hallway
Last Line: They find it on the floor.
Subject(s): Witchcraft & Witches


Those hags are in the hallway,
They've hardly opened the door --
It is as three long shadows
Had slipped in long before.

For hours they are patient,
Looking up the stair;
They hear a lady singing
And combing her lovely hair.

"Jenny, tell your mistress
There's company today,
And all fixed and ready
To take her a long way."

"Dear mothers, O sweet mothers,
Come out of the cold, please --
There's plenty of room in the kitchen,
And a cup at your own ease."

They sip their tea and mumble
With a meaningful air,
Thinking of the lady
Singing up the stair.

"Jenny, tell your mistress
Her company is here,
And she has barely the time now
To brush away a tear."

"Dear mothers, O sweet mothers,
She's singing a song there;
Not weeping at all, mothers,
But doing her lovely hair."

"Jenny, see your mistress,
And tell her company
If she is ready to go now,
Her hair all tidy."

The house is dark, the house is still;
The maid flies up the stair
And fumbles at the door-knob
The hags down there

Come slowly up the dark stair
And push the lady's door;
The comb has dropped from her lovely hair,
They find it on the floor.





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