The day flees the town with a drunkard's yell

Silence from the slaughterhouse

And the midnight bell

Shudders down Shambles alley

Slamming shutters

And the market litter flies

Newspaper acrobats, straw and rags

Whirl up to Tom's window...

And away



Simple Tom looks out across the town

Come into my shipwreck room

Creaking beams and tilting shadows

And the tallow-sticks burn

High above the cobble streets

Come into my shipwreck room

Jenny Bailey



We can see Tom's hand only

Pulling horse-hair from the chair

The candle splutters

His pupil shrinks, his pupil grows

You are my ghost Jenny Bailey

Come and dance with me

While the whole town sleeps



Simple Tom looks out across the town

Walk across the scaly roofs

Look into my open window

Oh, my rooftop girl

Rats-tail hair and milky skin

Glinting in the weather-vanes

Jenny Bailey