to Long John Montgomery

1.
On Douglas Bridge . . .
On Douglas Bridge¹
They were dancing! Dancing!
And he seventeen swinging home
Through the twilight
A day’s work done
And not a care in his head
Stopping in wonder
What dancing! Dancing!
Their black curls bouncing
And their red shoes flashing
Five little girls — dancing! Dancing!
With their dark eyes gleaming
And their green dresses shining
Saying — Dance Johnny! Dance!
And we’ll give you a shilling!
And he danced and he danced
And he danced till the dawning
Then they were gone
With the grey of the morning
And Johnny limped home
Clutching a shilling
And his mother cried out
And covered her head
Oh! Johnny my darling
You were not in your bed
And the fairies were out
On Douglas Bridge
Did you dance with them Johnny?
Did they give you a penny?
When he showed her the shilling
She kissed him goodbye
Then she wrapped him a loaf
And a coat for the weather
And that was the last
They were ever together.

2
He wept and he cursed
And he called to his mother
But the five little girls
Dragged him down to the river
Then he begged and he pleaded
That they take back their shilling
But they shook their dark heads
— It’s no good your crying
You danced for our shilling
Now you’ll dance till you’re dying
You’ll dance down the road
And you’ll dance to the sea
And you’ll dance till you reach
The last country
But it won’t all be sorrow
Though you’ll always be lonely
And you’ll weep when you hear
The wild north wind calling
Then they jumped in the river
And when he looked over
There was only a swirl
And the sound of their laughter.

3.
So he walked to Lough Foyle²
And he met a sea captain
One man short
To sail for New Zealand
Where’s that? asked Johnny
Is it far far away?
It’s further than that
And we sail in the morning
There's nothing to stop me
If I turn back now
The wee folk will get me
And I’ll drown in the river
Below Douglas Bridge
And I’ll always be cold
And I’ll never be resting
For the five little girls
Will be dancing and leaping
And my dear dear mother
By the bridge there weeping

4.
And the new land was almost
As green as Ireland
And it wasn't all pain
And it wasn't all grieving
And he married a girl
With her black hair waving
And she led him a dance
And she sneered at his pining
For a two-roomed cottage
With a rammed earth floor
And nothing to keep
The wolf from the door
And she scoffed at his stories
0f little girls dancing
With their black curls bouncing
And their red shoes flashing
But she stopped when she saw
His quick feet flying
For where had she ever
Seen such dancing! Dancing!
With his long legs weaving
And his blue eyes sparkling.

5.
So he danced through the years
Through the love and the hating
Through the birth of his children
And her final betrayal
And he danced to his death
One milk spring evening
And he called out her name
As he fell to the floor
And the five little girls
Came through the door
And as he lay dying
He saw so clearly
They all had her face
And her black hair waving
With their dark eyes gleaming
And their green dresses shining
And the very last thing
That he ever saw
Was her dancing... dancing...
. . . dancing.