Blue, Green, Red and Purple: Bugger Off!
The woman in Betty Collins's poem offers a firm instruction to the man whose intention was to steal her virtue.
So you would leave me? Go! I shall not grieve -
You're one of many pebbles on the beach.
(And I have sev'ral others up my sleeve)
You must have thought that I was tres naif
To lap up all your falsely loving speech:
So you would leave me? Go! I shall not grieve.
For straight I saw your foul intent to thieve
The virtue from this pretty little peach:
(And I have sev'ral others up my sleeve);
Deep eyes like yours too readily deceive:
Your liquid lips too smoothly more beseech -
So you would leave me? Go! I shall not grieve.
How soonest gone, so short th' r'citative;
I'm keen for action, wish for more outreach:
(And I have sev'ral others up my sleeve)
It's yobs like you that cause us to conceive;
To weep and curse and preach and vainly screech:
So you would leave me? Go! I shall not grieve:
For I have several others up my sleeve.
