Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923)
Countrywomen
1These be two
2Country women.
3What a size!
4Great big arms
5And round red faces;
6Big substantial
7Sit down places;
8Great big bosoms firm as cheese
9Bursting through their country jackets;
10Wide big laps
11And sturdy knees;
12Hands outspread,
13Round and rosy,
14Hands to hold
15A country posy
16Or a baby or a lamb --
17 And such eyes!
18Stupid, shifty, small and sly
19Peeping through a slit of sty,
20Squinting through their neighbours' plackets.
Online text copyright © 2011, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: Katherine Mansfield, Poems (London: Constable, 1923): 34. 11647.e.58 British Library
First publication date:
1923
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 2000.
Recent editing: 2:2002/4/4
Composition date:
1914
Rhyme: abcdefeghigjkljmcnnh
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