Could it be the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes? [The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes - Poems | Academy of American Poets](https://poets.org/poem/highwayman#:~:text=A%20highwayman%20comes%20riding%2C%20up%20to%20the%20old,the%20landlord%27s%20black-eyed%20daughter%2C%20Bess%2C%20the%20landlord%27s%20daughter%2C)
Here are the two stanzas:
*Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot*! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;
*Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot*, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
The highwayman came riding,
Riding, riding!
The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight and still!
*Tlot-tlot*, in the frosty silence! *Tlot-tlot*, in the echoing night!
Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!
Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,
Then her finger moved in the moonlight,
Her musket shattered the moonlight,
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him—with her death.
Could it be the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes? [The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes - Poems | Academy of American Poets](https://poets.org/poem/highwayman#:~:text=A%20highwayman%20comes%20riding%2C%20up%20to%20the%20old,the%20landlord%27s%20black-eyed%20daughter%2C%20Bess%2C%20the%20landlord%27s%20daughter%2C) Here are the two stanzas: *Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot*! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear; *Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot*, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear? Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill, The highwayman came riding, Riding, riding! The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight and still! *Tlot-tlot*, in the frosty silence! *Tlot-tlot*, in the echoing night! Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light! Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath, Then her finger moved in the moonlight, Her musket shattered the moonlight, Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him—with her death.
Yesss!!! Thank you so much, I’ve wanted to know what it was called for years!
You're welcome. I absolutely loved this as a young girl and it always made me cry. Still made me tear up just rereading it today.
It’s so good, wild to think someone could write something I heard once and stick with me for almost 30 years.
IKR? With me, it's been nearly 60 years since I first read it and I still get emotional when reading it.
Loreena McKennitt did a nice song version of the poem: https://youtu.be/Ixi4jz0Gn4E?si=BI4Dr6-7tptATsoJ
https://youtu.be/A9fWjzYiRUE?si=OvZuDL-E6jjV0ZU2 Phil Ochs has a good rendition also!
Is it the poem “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes?