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 Elsie`s Poetry

SAVED BY THE BELL






SAVED BY THE BELL





Many, many moons ago
Before you and I were born
There was a custom where
A bell was used not a horn.



So when you were laid to rest
You could have a coffin made
To accommodate a bell
But a price had to be paid.

    
 
A string was tied to your wrist
Then it was fed up to the ground
Where it was then tied to a bell
If you moved it made a sound.

     

This was to stop premature burial
Because people were so afraid
That they would be buried alive,
With the bell their fears were allayed.



It`s how the graveyard shift began
A lone soul would sit on guard
Listening for the sound of the bell
Doing the night shift in the graveyard.

    

It was said that coffins were re-used,
And when opened on the inside
They found scratch marks on the lid
They were buried alive this implied.

     

Now some don`t quite believe this
But sounds quite plausible, you see
If it saves you from being buried alive
Then it sounds like a good idea to me.





copyright©2010 Elsie


Elsie`s Poetry ~*~ Poet5170
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