by Owen Dobson (1914 - 1983)
Bring me those needles, Martha, I...
Language: English
Bring me those needles, Martha, I believe I'll knit Jesus a scarf. Go on snapping those butterbeans. What time is it? Let me see now: knit one. You say it's twelve o'clock? Snap enough for Joseph and Lazarus: They'll be home before you're through. Martha, what time is it? Purl two, purl one, knit one, purl two. If I had the star of Bethlehem, I'd knit three and light His sky: Where was I, Martha? Oh yes, knit one purl sev'n. What time is it, Martha? Knit three, purl ten. It can't be near three o'clock. Where was I? Knit, purl twelve, purl, nothing: Martha don't leave me alone. Where are you Martha? Martha!
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Owen Dobson (1914 - 1983), appears in Beyond the Blues -- New Poems by American Negroes, first published 1962 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Robert James Berkeley Fleming (1921 - 1976), "Bring me those needles, Martha, I believe I'll knit Jesus a scarf", 1966, published 1968, from The Confession Stone (The Songs of Mary), no. 6. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-26
Line count: 18
Word count: 114