‘Green Man in the Garden’,

by Charles Causley

Green man in the garden

Staring from the tree,

Why do you look so long and hard Through the pane at me?

Your eyes are dark as holly

Of sycamore your thorns,

Your bones are made of elder branch, Your teeth are made of thorns.

Your hat is made of ivy-leaf

Of bark your dancing shoes,

And evergreen and green and green Your jacket and shirt and trews.

Leave your house and leave your land And throw away the key,

And never look behind, he creaked And come and live with me.

I bolted up the window,

I bolted up the door,

I drew the blind that I should find The green man never more.

But when I softly turned the stair As I went up to bed,

I saw the green man standing there. Sleep well, my friend, he said.