cross-handed (word of the week) sighting: the Cross-handed Bed, a poem by Mary Dalton

The Cross-handed Bed

She was a bit of a woman -
A waist like a wasp when I married her,
But strong - no one could beat her for work -
Six loaves every day and the
Wash out on the line
Before the sun rose on the water.
She sang like the wren.
Up at the window when our boat came in.
She welcomed
Each youngster that came,
But the ninth tore her open -
Now she's in the ground
Our old four-poster's all reefs and sunkers
And I'm bound out for Wareham's
In search of a cross-handed bed.

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This poem by Mary Dalton is found in her collection entitled Merrybegot, one of the main sources of inspiration for this Blog.

Merrybegot, the audio edition from Rattling Books, is performed by Anita Best and Patrick Boyle.