You are all thumbs . Shemus stays late . White Mary , Bring Shemus home out of the wicked woods ; Save Shemus from the wolves ; Shemus is daring ; And save him from the demons of the woods , Who have crept out and wander on the roads , Deluding dim-eyed souls now newly dead , And those alive who have gone crazed with famine . Save him , White Mary Virgin . Shemus has come . Shemus , you are late home : you have been lounging And chattering with some one : you know well How the dreams trouble me , and how I pray , Yet you lie sweating on the hill from morn , Or linger at the crossways with all comers , Telling or gathering up calamity . Praise be the saints ! Before you came She made a great noise in the hencoop , Shemus . What fluttered in the window ? Then you are Countess Cathleen : you and yours Are ever welcome under my poor thatch . Will you sit down and warm you by the sods ? You ’ re almost there . There is a trodden way among the hazels That brings your servants to their marketing . When wealthy and wise folk wander from their peace And fear wood things , poor folk may draw the bolt And pray before the fire . I will go the next ; Our parents ’ cabins bordered the same field . O Shemus , hush , maybe your mind might pray In spite o ’ the mouth . Is yonder quicken wood ? Shemus ! Shemus ! What , would you burn the blessed quicken wood ? A spell to ward off demons and ill faeries . You know not what the owls were that peeped in , For evil wonders live in this old wood , And they can show in what shape please them best . And we have had no milk to leave of nights To keep our own good people kind to us . And Aleel , who has talked with the great Sidhe , Is full of terrors to come . Who knows what evil you have brought to us ? I fear the wood things , Shemus . Do not open . Look ! look ! O Mary , Mother of God , be pitiful ! No , do not come in : We have no food , not even for ourselves . What have you in the bags ? I will not cook for you . I will not cook for you : you are not human : Before you came two horned owls looked at us ; The dog bayed , and the tongue of Shemus maddened . When you came in the Virgin ’ s blessed shrine Fell from its nail , and when you sat down here You poured out wine as the wood sidheogs do When they ’ d entice a soul out of the world . Why did you come to us ? Was not death near ? If you be not demons , Go and give alms among the starving poor , You seem more rich than any under the moon . Then ask of Father John . And have the starving any merchandise ? Merchants , Their swine and cattle , fields and implements , Are sold and gone . What have they ? Shemus and Teig , Teig — Destroyers of souls , may God destroy you quickly ! You shall at last dry like dry leaves , and hang Nailed like dead vermin to the doors of God . Just now when she came near I thought I heard Other small steps beating upon the floor , And a faint music blowing in the wind , Invisible pipes giving her feet the time .