Scarecrow - Brown

Scarecrow
by Abbie Farwell Brown (1871-1927)

Rags and tags of what he was,
Topped with straw and stuffed with hay;
Balanced tipsily askew,
It grins to scare the crows away.

I saw Him first in that old hat—
It seemed the crown of a king to me.
I liked his careless swagger then;
Lord! He was straight and fine to see.

He courted me in that same coat—
He couldn’t meet it now, I guess.
That gay vest was the one he wore
When I walked bride in my silver dress.

He seemed as proud as I, those days.
I never dreamed, when we were wed,
I’d think the Scarecrow a better man,
With a broom for a spine and a pumpkin head.

Rags and tags of what he seemed,
Mocking me in the field all day.
What can I make a scarecrow of,
To drive the hungry thoughts away?

---

From Heart of New England, 1920

Straw Phantom - Blackall

A Patriotic Pantomiming Scarecrow's Search For Love

THE STRAW PHANTOM
A Pantomime for Halloween

circa 1917
by Dorothy Brewer Blackall (1890?-1949)

If you would hear a story
About All-hallow’s Day
Just listen very carefully
To every word I say.

Once on a time there lived a witch
Deep in the forest glade
Who built a fire and brewed a charm
And a wondrous scarecrow made.

The Jack-o’-Lanterns helped her,
And two rabbits—He and She.
The wind did howl as they did dance,
Just wait a bit—you’ll see.

“Upon my soul!” cried old Dame Witch,
“This fellow’s far too gay
To be a common scarecrow
And frighten birds away.

“That pumpkin head and fine buff coat
No crow would ever fear.”
And creeping slowly up to him
She croaked, “Smoke this, my dear!”

A knotted, crooked, gnarled old pipe
She stuck between his lips;
A wondrous thing did happen when
He’d taken three good whiffs.

No more his legs were bean-poles stiff,
His breath in quick gusts came;
He slowly made a deep, deep bow,
And the witch she did the same.

And then they started whirling—
Gadsook! a funny scene
To see a witch and a scarecrow
Dance on Allhallow’en!

“I’m proud of you, my beauty,
You’re such a worthy son.
You’ll choose a partner of your own
Before this night is done.

“Nor shall you, like a country lad,
Look near home for your lass.
Watch well the magic mirror here
And see what’s in the glass.”

First, in the magic mirror,
Appeared a sweet Dutch lass.
“She’s very pretty,” Scarecrow said,
“But still I’ll let her pass.”

And then in quick succession
Came girls from every land:
A beauty fair from Sweden,
A belle from far Japan.

A Persian maid so languorous;
A Russian, swathed in fur,
A Spanish señorita,
Each one his heart did stir.

“You all are very lovely,
But you hail from far away;
I choose a partner near at home,
A girl of the U.S.A.”

You’ll see her if you watch,
good folk,
Come—pull aside the screen.
Long live the Stars and Stripes, my
friends,
And likewise Hallowe’en.

It's rare to find a pantomime. For those who do not know what that is - a narrator reads the poem while players (typically on a stage - but hey the patio will do) pantomime the action. It can be fun... go for it... you know you want to. grin!
St. Nicholas, October 1917

The Scarecrow - Robertson

THE SCARECROW
By Donald Robertson (1800s-1900s)

A scarecrow, in a field of corn,
Stood broken down, well nigh,
But through the sunshine or the rain,
His face still faced the sky.

The ravens filled with strange alarm,
Flew by with startled cry,
When seeing ‘tween his wind tossed arms
His face still faced the sky.

But once a dove from out a wood
Came cooing forth a sigh,
Now, though the scarecrow yearned for love,
His face still faced the sky.

And so he missed the love he sought,
And soon he drooped to die,
Unheeded, broken, on the ground,
His face still faced the sky.

The dove a mate soon found, indeed
Why should she longer try
To win the scarecrow fallen low;
His face still faced the sky.

She took his heart of withered straw,
To line her nest near by,
And scarcely noticed as she passed,
His face still faced the sky.

---

From Impressions in Rhyme, 1896

Scarecrow #1 2014