Classic and Contemporary Poetry
EVENINGS, by BURGES JOHNSON Poet's Biography First Line: On cold, dark winter evenings Last Line: The evenings best of all. Subject(s): Children; Night; Childhood; Bedtime | ||||||||
On cold, dark winter evenings, outdoors a wind storm sings; You hear a window rattle and a dead limb creaks and swings, And grown-ups sit around the fire and talk of diff' runt things. But I just fool around and grin, it feels so nice and snug, Till pretty soon I go and get my favorite book, and lug It near the fire, and stretch out on my stomach on the rug. Then by and by my mother raps her thimble on my head And says, "Why, boy, it's getting late! Come, run along to bed." Evenings in the summer, when it's just as light as day, With chirpy noises in the trees, and sounds from far away, And a sort of warm and grassy smell that makes you want to play; Why, then the boys come chasing round and whistle at the gate, And I slip off before I'm seen, or mother hollers "Wait! Go get your hat, and promise you'll be back before it's late!" Those summer nights it's father who gets after me instead, And calls me through the darkness, "Boy! Skip right along to bed." I think the morning's pretty long, especially in school; And afternoon has time enough to suit me, as a rule; But evenings they are always short, in winter, spring, or fall, And every time of year I like the evenings best of all. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BREATH OF NIGHT by RANDALL JARRELL HOODED NIGHT by ROBINSON JEFFERS NIGHT WITHOUT SLEEP by ROBINSON JEFFERS WORKING OUTSIDE AT NIGHT by DENIS JOHNSON POEM TO TAKE BACK THE NIGHT by JUNE JORDAN COOL DARK ODE by DONALD JUSTICE POEM TO BE READ AT 3 A.M by DONALD JUSTICE ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT by BOB KAUFMAN A BABY AT THE PARTY by BURGES JOHNSON |
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