Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE REBEL, by INNES RANDOLPH


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE REBEL, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Oh, I'm a good old rebel, that's what I am
Last Line: I won't be reconstructed and I don't give a damn.
Variant Title(s): Unreconstructed
Subject(s): American Civil War; Hate; United States - History


Oh, I'm a good old Rebel,
Now that's just what I am,
For this "fair Land of Freedom"
I don't give a damn;
I'm glad I fought agin her,
I only wish we'd won,
And I ain't axed any pardon
for anything I've done.
I fought with old Bob Lee for three years about,
Got wounded in four places and starved at Point Lookout.
I caught the rheumatism a-campin' in the snow,
An I killed a chance of Yankees and I wish I'd killed some mo'!
Three hundred thousand Yankees is dead in Southern dust,
We got three hundred thousand before they conquered us;
They died of Southern fever, of Southern steel and shot --
I wish they was three million instead of what we got.
I hate the Constitution, this great republic, too;
I hate the nasty eagle, and uniform so blue;
I hate their glorious banner, and all their flags and fuss.
Those lying, thieving Yankees, I hate 'em wuss and wuss.
I hate the Yankee nation and everything they do;
I hate the Declaration of Independence, too;
I hate the glorious Union, 'tis dripping with our blood;
I hate the striped banner, I fought it all I could.
I won't be reconstructed! I'm better now than them;
And for a carpetbagger, I don't give a damn;
So I'm off for the frontier, soon as I can go,
I'll prepare me a weapon and start for Mexico.
I can't take up my musket and fight them now no mo',
But I'm not goin' to love 'em, and that is certain sho';
And I don't want no pardon for what I was or am,
I won't be reconstructed and I don't give a damn.






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