. Selected poems; . Rise?With her sweet small freckled features. Red-gold hair, and kind grey eyes;Sister, daughter, to her mother, Mother, sister, to the rest—And of all my friends and kindred Mary Carey loved me best. 100 THE SHAKEDOWN ON THE FLOOR Far too shy, because she loved me, To be dancing oft with me;(What cared I, because she loved me. If the world were there to see?)But we lingered by the sliprails While the rest were riding home,Ere the hour before the dawning Dimmed the great star-clustered dome. Small brown hands that spread the mattress, While the old folk winked to seeHow shed
. Selected poems; . Rise?With her sweet small freckled features. Red-gold hair, and kind grey eyes;Sister, daughter, to her mother, Mother, sister, to the rest—And of all my friends and kindred Mary Carey loved me best. 100 THE SHAKEDOWN ON THE FLOOR Far too shy, because she loved me, To be dancing oft with me;(What cared I, because she loved me. If the world were there to see?)But we lingered by the sliprails While the rest were riding home,Ere the hour before the dawning Dimmed the great star-clustered dome. Small brown hands that spread the mattress, While the old folk winked to seeHow shed find an extra pillow And an extra sheet for a moment shyly smiling. She would grant me one kiss more—Slip away and leave me happy By the shakedown on the floor. Rock me hard in steerage cabins. Rock me soft in first saloons,Lay me on the sandhill lonely Under waning Western moons;But wherever night may find me Till I rest for evermore—I shall dream that I am happy In the shakedown on the floor. (ipoo). Written Afterwards (To J. Le Gay Brereton) O the days of my riding are over, The days of my tramping are done—Im about as content as a rover Will ever be under the sun;I write, after reading your letter—My mind with old memories rife—And I feel in a mood that had betterNot meet the true eyes of the wife. You must never admit a suggestion That old things are good to recall;You must never consider the question: Was I happier then, after all?You must banish the old hope and sorrow That make the sad pleasures of life;You must live for To-day and To-morrow If you want to be just to the wife. I have changed since the first day I kissed her. Which is due—Heaven bless her!—to her ;Im respected and trusted—Im Mister, Addressed by the children as feel the respect without feigning, And youd laugh the great laugh of your lifeIf you only saw me entertaining An old lady friend of the wife. 103 WRITTEN AFTERWARDS By the way, when youre writing, remember You never
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