The Piper’s Wife

f you should want a quiet life,
Then never be a piper’s wife
He’ll drive you mad with tales of woe
Of how his reeds refuse to crow,
And when his drones are out of tune,
You’ll really have to leave the room.
Those pipes will make him curse and swear,
And make you want to tear your hair,
And when he comes to cran and roll,
Those off-pitch notes will take their toll.

But don’t despair, don’t leave in haste
His practice will not go to waste.
For one day you will hear a sound,
And your heart will give a mighty pound
A tune in time, a tune in pitch,
And played right through without a hitch,
And from then on, your battered ear
Can safely listen, without fear.
As the music flows at an even canter,
There’s nothing as sweet as the song of the chanter.

– Maura O Farrell