Now I Was There Just The Other Day,
Upon Leaving, Someone Took My Hand;
-Å—my Name-‘s Kate, - An Old Lady Said,
-ŗsir, Have You Seen My Raggedy Ann? -
So, I Went And Bought This Raggedy Anne,
And Returned To The Exact Place;
I Said To The Clerk; -Å—this Doll-‘s For Kate, -
As Shock Came Over Her Face!
-Å—there-‘s No One Here By That Name, -
She Said To Me, All Teary Eyed;
-Å—you See, It-‘s Been Thirty Five Years,
Since This Lady Named Kate Died.
It Happens Sometimes Late At Night,
While Most Residents Are Asleep;
Though The Halls Are Completely Empty,
You Can Hear The Dragging Of Feet.
When The Staff Hears The Shuffling,
They Get Up To Look Around;
But Not A Single Soul Do They See,
Even Though They Hear Strange Sounds.
Like, A Wheelchair-‘s Squeaky Wheels,
And Rubber Scrubbing Metal Rims;
Or, A Sleight Wheezy Breathing,
In Places Where The Hall Lights Dim.
Rumor Has It That Kate Was Left Here,
Several Long Years Ago;
Seems Her Kids Wouldn-‘t Take Her In,
She Had No Place Else To Go.
Her Family Had All Deserted Her,
So, In Loneliness She Would Cry;
All She Had Was A Raggedy Ann,
That She Kept Close By Her Side.
Often, Sadness Would Overwhelm Her,
For Night After Night She Would Cry;
Then Some Of The Staff Mistreated Her,
And Secretly Hoped That She Would Die.
Also To Punish Her For Crying,
Her Precious Dolly They Would Hide;
Until Late One Night, Her Crying Ceased,
As In Loneliness Kate Finally Died.
That Night Her Dolly Was Missing,
Her Pillow Was Soaked With Tears;
She Was Buried With Fingers Reaching,
Still Longing For Her Dolly Dear.
It Seems The Residents Can See Her,
For They Smile, And Mumble Her Name;
Some Visitors Think They-‘re Just Crazy,
While The Staff Assume It-‘s A Game.
They Say She Still Wanders The Halls,
Searching For Her Raggedy Anne;
And Occasionally Some Visitor Will Swear,
That An Old Lady Grabbed Their Hand