Umbrella Lil Poem by Lindsey Priest

This is the tale of Umbrella Lil
Who walked the streets of town,
She was one of those strange people...
Who wander up and down!

She walked the streets near where I lived
You’d see her every day.
No matter what the weather was like
She’d dress in the same way.

A long black coat with fox fur trim,
A bag clutched in one hand,
High heeled shoes that clicked as she walked
And a hat with a velvet band.

She carried a black umbrella
Leaned on it like a cane,
Or stopped and poked the air with it
We thought she was insane!

Her bag was filled to overflow
God knows what she had in there.
She kept it with her all the time,
And took it everywhere

She’d sit down on a park bench
Into the bag would look.
She’d rummage and she’d scramble,
As if something was stuck.

Then out would come the lipstick
A powder compact too,
And peering into the mirror
Her make-up she would do.

Her cheeks were red and wrinkled
Her eyebrows arched up high,
With paint and crayon pencils
Her war-paint she’d apply.

Then her face, it would resemble,
A crazy circus clown,
But off once more she’d start to walk
The length and breadth of town.

If ever I saw her coming,
I’d avoid her at all cost,
Crossing the road immediately,
So time would not be lost.

To chat was what Lil loved to do,
To talk and talk and talk,
And if she caught you unawares,
You’d have to forget your walk!

She’d tell you her life history
Even though you knew it well,
She'd once had a dear sweet-heart
But in the war he fell.

Bravely he’d fought at Paschendale
But sadly lost his life,
Which meant the love-struck girl at home
Would never be his wife

Folks wouldn’t spend their time with her,
Too busy, didn’t care,
Nobody was interested,
Sad news she couldn’t share.

I left my home and went away
Umbrella Lil, I saw no more.
I heard that they had found her
Slumped, dead, behind the door

Near her lay a photograph
Of a handsome girl and boy.
He was in army uniform
She wore a look of joy.

Her black handbag was beside her
She held a locket and a chain
With a message written on it
“Until we meet again! ”