# The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke/VII. The Siren

* The Siren
* HE sung a song; an' I sat silent there,
* Wiv bofe 'ands grippin' 'ard on to me chair;
* Me 'eart, that yesterdee I thort wus broke
* Wiv 'umpin' sich a 'eavy load o' care,
* Come swellin' in me throat like I would choke.
* I felt 'ot blushes climbin' to me 'air.
* 'Twas like that feelin' when the Spring wind breaves
* Sad music in the sof'ly rustlin' leaves.
* An' when a bloke sits down an' starts to chew
* Crook thorts, wivout quite knowin' why 'e grieves
* Fer things 'e's done 'e didn't ort to do—
* Fair winded wiv the 'eavy sighs 'e 'eaves.
* She sung a song; an' orl at once I seen
* The kind o' crool an' 'eartless broot I been.
* In ev'ry word I read it like a book—
* The slanter game I'd played wiv my Doreen—
* I 'eard it in 'er song; an' in 'er look
* I seen wot made me feel fair rotten mean.
* ​Poor, 'urt Doreen! My tender bit o' fluff!
* Ar, men don't understand; they're fur too rough;
* Their ways is fur too coarse wiv lovin' tarts;
* They never gives 'em sympathy enough.
* They treats 'em 'arsh; they tramples on their 'earts;
* Becos their own crool 'earts is leather-tough.
* She sung a song; an' orl them bitter things
* That chewin' over lovers' quarrels brings
* Guv place to thorts of sorrer an' remorse.
* Like when some dilly punter goes an' slings
* 'Is larst, lone deener on some stiffened 'orse,
* An' learns them vain regrets wot 'urts an' stings.
* 'Twas at a beano where I lobs along
* To drown them memories o' fancied wrong.
* I swears I never knoo that she'd be there.
* But when I met 'er eye—O 'Struth 'twas strong!
* 'Twas bitter strong, that jolt o' dull despair!
* 'Er look o' scorn!… An' then, she sung a song.
* The choon was one o' them sad, mournful things
* That ketch yeh in the bellers 'ere, and brings
* Tears to yer eyes. The words was uv a tart
* 'Go's trackin' wiv a silly coot 'oo slings
* 'Er love aside, an' breaks 'er tender 'eart…
* But 'twasn't that; it was the way she sings.
* ​To 'ear 'er voice!… A bloke 'ud be a log
* 'Oo kep' 'is block. Me mind wus in a fog
* Uv sorrer for to think 'ow I wus wrong.
* Ar, I 'ave been a fair ungrateful 'og!
* The feelin' that she put into that song
* 'Ud melt the 'eart-strings of a chiner dog.
* I listens wiv me 'eart up in me throat;
* I drunk in ev'ry word an' ev'ry note.
* Tears trembles in 'er voice when she tells 'ow
* That tart snuffed out becos 'e never wrote.
* An' then I seen 'ow I wus like that cow.
* Wiv suddin shame me guilty soul wus smote.
* Doreen, she never looked my way; but stood
* 'Arf turned away, an' beefed it out reel good,
* Until she sang that bit about the grave;
* "Too late 'e learned 'e 'ad misunderstood!"
* An' then—Gawstruth ! The pleadin' look she gave
* Fair in me face 'ud melt a 'eart 'o wood.
* I dunno 'ow I seen that evenin' thro'.
* They must 'a' thort I wus 'arf shick, I knoo.
* But I 'ad 'urt Doreen wivout no call;
* I seen me dooty, wot I 'ad to do.
* O, strike! I could 'a' blubbed before 'em all!
* But I sat tight, an' never cracked a boo.
* ​An' when at larst the tarts they makes a rise,
* A lop-eared coot wiv 'air down to 'is eyes
* 'E 'ooks on to Doreen, an' starts to roam
* Fer 'ome an' muvver. I lines up an' cries,
* "'An's orf! I'm seein' this 'ere cliner 'ome!"
* An' there we left 'im, gapin' wiv surprise.
* She never spoke; she never said no word;
* But walked beside me like she never 'eard.
* I swallers 'ard, an' starts to coax an' plead.
* I sez I'm dead ashamed o' wot's occurred.
* She don't reply; she never takes no 'eed;
* Jist stares before 'er like a startled bird.
* I tells 'er, never can no uvver tart
* Be 'arf wot she is, if we 'ave to part.
* I tells 'er that me life will be a wreck.
* It ain't no go. But when I makes a start
* To walk away, 'er arms is roun' me neck.
* "Ah, Kid!" she sobs. "Yeh nearly broke me 'eart!"
* I dunno wot I done or wot I said.
* But 'Struth! I'll not forgit it till I'm dead—
* That night when 'ope back in me brisket lobs:
* 'Ow my Doreen she lays 'er little 'ead
* Down on me shoulder 'ere, an' sobs an' sobs;
* An' orl the lights goes sort 'o blurred an' red.
* ​Say, square an' all—It don't seem right, some'ow,
* To say sich things; but wot I'm feelin' now
* 'As come at times, I s'pose, to uvver men—
* When you 'ave 'ad a reel ole ding-dong row,
* Say, ain't it bonzer makin' up agen?
* Straight wire, it's almost worth… Ar, I'm a cow!
* To think I'd ever seek to 'arm a 'air
* Of 'er dear 'ead agen! My oath, I swear
* No more I'll roust on 'er in angry 'eat!
* But still, she never seemed to me so fair;
* She never wus so tender or so sweet
* As when she smooged beneath the lamplight there.
* She's never been so lovin' wiv 'er gaze;
* So gentle wiv 'er pretty wimmin's ways.
* I tells 'er she's me queen, me angel, too.
* "Ah, no, I ain't no angel, Kid," she says.
* "I'm jist a woman, an' I loves yeh true!
* An' so I'll love yeh all me mortal days!"
* She sung a song.… 'Ere, in me barmy style,
* I sets orl tarts; for in me hour o' trile
* Me soul wus withered be a woman's frown,
* An' broodin' care come roostin' on me dile.
* She sung a song… Me 'eart, wiv woe carst down,
* Wus raised to 'Eaven be a woman's smile.