A sweet young thing, and shy,

    Her glance had caught my eye,

    Was that a smile, a of blush?

    …To talk with her, I shouldn’t .

    She seemed to watch as I walked by,

    My clothes she must espy.

    Straight from the mine with sweat from ,

    My filthy face, all coal dust .


    From day to day I passed her home,

    And to find her on her own.

    But always keeping eye,

    Her mother standing by her side.


    I knew it wasn’t just by ,

    That she stood there to watch me pass.

    to her, and she to me,

    Would she be my ?


    And so each day I ‘my lines’,

    That I would say on that first time.

    A simple man, not ,

    If I had chance, words must be right.


    Why didn’t she look down on me,

    With her in all her ?

    And me a of little worth,

    Could love be stronger than a ?


    The urge to speak was getting strong,

    As days and weeks soon passed along.

    I must a chance to meet,

    Alone with her, my love, my sweet.


    But then one day outside her home,

    Serene, , all alone,

    No mother there to spoil our ease,

    The time had come to say my piece.


    As I approached she seemed to smile,

    But our eyes met for too short a while.

    Before I could start the words I’d ,

    Something caught her eye just then.


    Now from behind I heard a voice,

    And to see who was her choice.

    The boss’s son, in all clean,

    ‘Twas he who was her daily dream!


    I stepped and let him pass,

    I knew my place as working class.

    I’d fooled myself that I would stand,

    A chance to enter her .


    I saw the joy upon her face,

    As she fell in his fond .

    From rags to riches her eyes had moved,

    The class divide so clearly .


    Oh stupid me, my heart to follow,

    That now felt pain of deepest .

    She’ll never know, perhaps not care.

    Of my love affair.