SCRIBBLE
From the Archives Shrewsbury High School’s Archives contain an extensive collection of photographs, documents and artefacts offering a wealth of history about our School, its students and staff and managed by Librarian Miss Hale. As proud stewards of such rich history since 1885, Scribble will be publishing poems, stories from this period to the present date. This Poem was composed in 1923 and showcased in Shrewsbury High School School Magazine. The Hockey Players have been taken from an illustration by an unknown artist , published in the School Magazine in 1941
A Hockey Match (with apologies to Chaucer) Whan that the Sonnë with his warmë raye, Had dreyed the ground wheron thei were to pleye, Twleve lusty maidës out the Scolë came, But nay! I mind me nou a was a dame. Uppon the field thei allë didë troop, Accoutered gailie with a riband loop Of blewë coleur lik the sky aboven, A compaignye that might men’s hertës moven, And bravelie did oppose hem to the foe. A shrillë blastë did the dame blowe, And with accordë did tweye maidës smight The leathern pill in hewë tinted whyt, Adoun the fielde did the ballë spede, E’en t’wards the foës half, in bataille tried, Full straight and longë was hir mighty stroke. With wordës sterne than up the dame spoke, “Stickës!” she cried and the penaltie. Fro that same spot the balle was swappit free, Ful spede ahed the leftern wingë renne The backe approached, the contek thei begenne Greet was the strife and long betwixe hem tweye.
Oh evel chaunce, alacke and woe the daye! Uptripped the leftern winge and strombled gruf, The foës backe is maked of sterner stuff. An inner quicklie did the balle up tak, And drove it past the Scolës leftë backe, The feréd maidë staunding twixe the postes, Seyde, “I moot stop the pill at allë costes.” A mighty stroke the centre than did give Straight thurgh the gappe hit wente, as I do live. Hou greet a sorwë suffreth nou our wight She thoght allas the daye I seigh the lighte. Would that I haddë leyser for to seye, Hou that the Scolë the bataille wonne that daye, And chered the folk who losten hadde a game, Then torning roundë swetely thinked the dame, But this is yet the bestë game of alle Whan maidës do with stickës hitte a balle.
E Simpson and K Barraclough Form VIa (School Magazine, 1923)
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