Living

The Lonesome Child

by Katherine Mansfield 1888–1923

From Poems (1923): Child Verses, 1907

Living

The baby in the looking-glass
Is smiling through at me;
She has her teaspoon in her hand,
Her feeder on for tea.

And if I look behind her I
Can see the table spread;
I wonder if she has to eat
The nasty crusts of bread.

Her doll, like mine, is sitting close
Beside her special chair,
She has a pussy on her lap;
It must be my cup there.

Her picture-book is on the floor,
The cover’s just the same;
And tidily upon the shelf
I see my Ninepin game.

O baby in the looking glass,
Come through and play with me,
And if you will, I promise, dear,
To eat your crusts at tea.

MLA

Mansfield, Katherine. “The Lonesome Child.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/mansfield_k/59/.

Chicago

Mansfield, Katherine. “The Lonesome Child.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/mansfield_k/59/.

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