THE OLD LADY DOWN THE LANE
Living in an old cottage at the turn in the long lane,
Lived a strange person, no one knew her real name,
The children called her, Witch, I did not know why,
She just looked like a lonely old lady to my tender eye.

She was quite tall, was then with age a little bent,
Very thin and gaunt, long hair, that in the wind went
All over the place, and she was very scary to see,
But there seemed an air of sadness about her to me.

We all called her names and ran fast past her place,
We tried, at all times we got close, to cover our face
Incase she cast a spell and she’d turn us into a toad,
The boys were the worst they did always cruelly goad.

One morning as I said my prayers a voice came to me,
‘Be nice to the old lady in the lane, she’s lonely as can be’
I looked around to see if mom was standing at my side,
But I was alone kneeling there, my surprise I could not hide.

I told my parents and said I was to go and do as I was told,
They gave me a pie, bread, some cat food, then quite bold
I walked down the lane to her home, knocked on the door,
Something told me that had not happened there before.

As the door opened a crack I smiled and quickly said,
‘Here is a pie, a treat for the cat and a loaf of bread,’
I forced my head to look up into a pair of tear filled eyes,
‘Come in my child, this is such a wonderful surprise’

We talked for hours there, that lonely old lady and me,
Then I realized she was not really old, just very lonely,
Her tale was long and very sad, but she found joy again
And because I listened and obeyed we were free from pain.

(Millicent) Ann Margetson 28 February 2004