THE WITCHES DAUGHTER
Posted: Thursday, 24 July 2008 |
2 comments |
A dark night, knock at my door
A mother with a child so poor
Oh help me Janet help my child
He ate some flowers out in the wild
My help I will give to you
A child should feel no pain
But you must tell no one of this
Or I will burn in vain
Trust me Janet and trust my word
Now help me please o please you must
The night is late the sky is dark
In the corner sits her large black cat
Three sticks I place upon my fire
A pot of scented water
First a frog and then a toad and teeth from an Otter
A rabbit鈥檚 tail and sheep鈥檚 bone now I stir the water
Boil it must boil it must
Before the boy can drink it
It will make him sick tonight
Now make him swallow this Limpet
Oh Janet you know what you do
Of course of course of course I do
My mother showed me this and that
And taught me all she knew
They drowned my mother by the Kirk
When I was very young
They think they know what is right
But I know it is wrong
Now take your son and be gone
But do not speak to no one
Pay me two silver crowns
Your boy will be well in morning
The morning comes the boy is dead
Janet鈥檚 potions killed him
Who shall I tell who shall I tell
I need to tell someone
You took him to Janet Nicol
The drowned witches daughter
We plunged her once and plunged her twice
By the kirks cold water
Now I must go and get some men.
Before the hour is late
Before the court she will stand
But soon burn on the stake
I did not know what flowers he swallowed
If he swallowed any
My potions cure the young and old
And have cured many
It was not me that killed the boy
But you all condemn me
Just like you done unto my mother
May hell come and take you
The flames reach high at Gallows Craig
The glowing wood its embers sprays
But Janet is tied to the post
A welcome sight for all or most
At the churchyard the boy is buried
His mother home her ruined world
She looks out at her garden wild
Where days ago played her child
The garden flowers bloom so bright
But there is something not quite right
The one she used to watch and love
The one she calls her Foxglove
Posted on THE MIDGE at 19:56
Comments
WOW---you with you're poetry HL with her stories,IB has some very talented bloggers
carol from over here-
Does this relate in any way to the children's tv programme 'The Witches Daughter' from the 1970s? There was a character in it called Aunt Dymphna. The theme tune was a beautiful simple celtic melody, sung unaccompanied, and I'm trying to track it down. Can you help?
Mary O'Connell from Yorkshire
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