Violets

Sister, tha knows while we was on the planks
Aside o� th� grave, while th� coffin wor lyin� yet
On th� yaller clay, an� th� white flowers top of it
Tryin� to keep off �n him a bit o� th� wet,

An� parson makin� haste, an� a� the black
Huddlin� close together a cause o� th� rain,
Did t� �appen ter notice a bit of a lass away back
By a head-stun, sobbin� an� sobbin� again?

�How should I be lookin� round
An� me standin� on the plank
Beside the open ground,
Where our Ted �ud soon be sank?

Yi, an� �im that young,
Snapped sudden out of all
His wickedness, among
Pals worse n�r ony name as you could call.

Let be that; there�s some o� th� bad as we
Like better nor all your good, an� �e was one.
�An� cos I liked him best, yi, bett�r nor thee,
I canna bide to think where he is gone.

Ah know tha liked �im bett�r nor me. But let
Me tell thee about this lass. When you had gone
Ah stopped behind on t� pad i� th� drippin wet
An� watched what �er �ad on.

Tha should ha� seed her slive up when we�d gone,
Tha should ha� seed her kneel an� look in
At th� sloppy wet grave�an� �er little neck shone
That white, an� �er shook that much, I�d like to begin

Scra�ghtin� my-sen as well. �En undid her black
Jacket at th� bosom, an� took from out of it
Over a double �andful of violets, all in a pack
Ravelled blue and white�warm, for a bit

O� th� smell come waftin� to me. �Er put �er face
Right intil �em and scra�ghted out again,
Then after a bit �er dropped �em down that place,
An� I come away, because o� the teemin� rain.