About the 1500's

Most people got married in June because They took their yearly bath in May Body odor was the reason Of the flowers in a bouquet A big tub of hot water was used For a bath, so that's not complex The males's right was to go first The women and children went next Last of all was the babies turn By then the water was real dark "Don't throw the baby out with the wash" Soon became a common remark Dirt floors were all the poor could afford The old saying "dirt poor" came from that The wealthy's floors were slippery slate In wet winter you just might fall flat! So they would spread straw on the floor But they called it thresh way back then and a "Thresh Hold" was what they called The piece of wood used to hold it in! Stew in a big kettle over a fire Provided their dinner for them to eat Leftovers left to get cold at night With vegetables but not much meat They added to the pot every day It could be several days I'm told That was referred to in the old rhyme "Peas porridge in the pot nine days old" When they could "bring home the bacon" They were always proud about that They would cut a little off to share Then sit around and "chew the fat" Pewter plates would cause lead poison If like, in tomatoes, the acid was high So for the next four hundred years or so They thought tomatoes would make you die! Bread was split according to status. The burnt bottom to workers was thrust The family would get the middle part While the guests got the "upper crust" Sometimes they'd pass out a few days Because with whiskey they'd use a lead cup So they would be prepared for burial But "hold a wake" to see if they woke up England had to re-use their coffins But there were scratch marks, on some inside They thought about it and soon realized They must have been burying people alive! Then they were buried with a string on their wrist A bell was attached outside as well Someone sat on "the graveyard shift" so a "dead ringer" could be "saved by the bell" This is true history, you can look it up For me history always gave me a fit But now this history doesn't seem so boring Since I managed to make a poem out of it!