To A Louse On Seeing One On A Lady's Bonnet, At Church
HA! whaur ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie? Your impudence protects you sairly; I canna say but ye strunt rarely, Owre gauze and lace; Tho', faith! I fear ye dine but sparely On sic a place.
Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner, Detested, shunned by saunt an' sinner, How daur ye set your fit fit upon her- Sae fine a lady? Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner On some poor body.
Swith! in some beggar's haffet squattle; There ye may creep' and sprawl, and sprattle, Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle, In shoal and nations; Whaur horn nor bane ne'er daur unsettle Your thick plantations.
Now haud you there, ye're out of sight, Below the fatt'rels, snug and tight; Na, faith ye yet! ye'll no be right, Till ye've got on it- The verra tapmost, tow'rin height O' Miss bonnet.
My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out, As plump an' grey as ony groset; O for some rank, mercurial rozet; Or fell, red smeddum, I'd gie you a sic a hearty dose o't Wad dress you droddum.
I wad na been surpris'd to spy You on an auld wife's flainen toy; Or aiblins some bit dubbie boy, On's wyliecoat: But Miss' fine Lunardi! fye! How daur ye do't?
O Jeany, dinna toss your head, An' set your beauties a' abread! Ye little ken what cursed speed The blasie's makin: Thae winks an' finger-ends, I dread, Are notice takin.
O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us! It wad frae mony a blunder free us, An; foolish notion; What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'eus, An ev'n devotion.
This has been a favorite of mine for about forty-five years, and there may even be a message in there for us.
--------------------
Be Mindful
|