free-verse30 lines

Curfew Shall Not Ring To-Night

England's sun ban slowly setting on big hilltops far avay;

Dis bar sun ban tired of standing, so it lak to set, yu say;

And yust ven dis sun ban setting, it shine hard on Yosephine;

She ban talking to the sexton, and ban feeling purty mean.

"Now," she tal him, "yust be careful,... ay skol fix it op all right;

Yust one teng ay lak to tal yu, Curfew skol not reng to-night!"

Val, the sun yust keep on setting, and the sexton start for bell.

"Vait a minute!" Yosie tal him; sexton answer, "Vat to 'ell?"

"Val," she say, "ay having sveetheart who ban over har in yail,

Ay ban vorking hard for money, nuff so ay can pay his bail;

But it ant no use to du it, and dis har old yudge skol write

That he dies ven bell start going. Curfew skol not reng to-night!"

Den, yu say, dis maester sexton, he can't hearing Yosephine;

He ban vork in boiler factory ven he ban about saxteen,

And it mak him deaf lak blazes. So he go and grabbing rope;

But Miss Yosephine ant qvitter, she ant losing any hope.

No, sir! she run op in bell tower, yust so fast sum she can run,

And she tak gude hold on bell tongue, and hang on lak son of a gun.

Maester sexton, he keep renging, but dis bell ant reng, yu say;

For Miss Yosephine ban op dar; she ant ban no country yay.

Ay yust bet yu she get groggy, for her yob ban purty tough;

But the bell don't "dingle dangle," it ant even making bluff.

"Val, by yinger!" say the sexton, "dis har rope ban awful tight."

Yosephine look down, and tal him, "Curfew skol not reng to-night!"

Purty soon it ban all over. Sexton, he ban start for town,

And Miss Yosie rest a minute, den ay s'pose she coming down.

Anyhow, she go next morning for gude talk vith some poleece,

And she yolly Maester Cromwell - he ban Yustice of the Peace.

"Gude for yu," say Maester Cromwell, "ay skol let him live, all right:

Yust because yu fule dis sexton - curfew skol not reng to-night!"