My old tunes

My old tunes are rather broken,

And they come from far away,

Bringing just a little token

Of a long-forgotten day;

When the children came to listen,

T'other side the garden fence,

And my heart leapt out of prison,

At the gift of seven-pence!

Just beyond the haystack's shadow,

Long ago that leafy June,

How they danced about the meadow

At the risin' of the moon!

While from out a railway carriage,

Standing ready and alight,

Stepped their guests as to a marriage

Asked to dine and stay the night!

Sweep and Laugher danced together,

And a man who had a lamp

Capered lightly as a feather

With a lazy-looking tramp;

When a voice disturbed the Lancers:

"Children, come, it's time for bed"

Railway carriages, Sprites and Dancers

Flew up to the stars instead!

Now I am a Constellation,

Free from ev'ry earthly care,

Playing nightly at my station

For the Big and Little Bear.

But my tunes are still entrancing

As that night in leafy June,

When I caught the children dancing

With the Sprites beneath the moon!

Still the children come to hear me

In the lane or dingy street;

Still the heavy pavement near me

Flutters to their happy feet;

For my tunes are ne'er forgotten,

And they bring the scent of musk:

Grown up folk may call 'em rotten,

But I'm looked for when it's dusk!