Classic and Contemporary Poetry
OLD JOHN CLEVENGER ON BUCKEYES, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Old john clevenger lets on Last Line: "kin subsist whare buckeyes is!" Alternate Author Name(s): Johnson Of Boone, Benj. F. Subject(s): Flowers; Ohio; War | ||||||||
OLD John Clevenger lets on, Allus, like he's purty rough Timber. -- He's a grate old John! -- "Rough?" -- don't swaller no sich stuff! Moved here, sence the war was through, From Ohio -- somers near Old Bucyrus, -- loyal, too, As us "Hoosiers" is to here! Git old John stirred up a bit On his old home stompin'-ground -- Talks same as he lived thare yit, When some subject brings it round -- Like, fer instunce, Sund'y last, Fetched his wife, and et and stayed All night with us. -- Set and gassed Tel plum midnight -- 'cause I made Some remark 'bout "buckeyes" and "What was buckeyes good fer?" -- So, Like I 'lowed, he waved his hand And lit in and let me know: -- "'What is Buckeyes good fer? -- What's Pineys and fergit-me-nots? -- Honeysuckles, and sweet peas, And sweet-williamsuz and these Johnny-jump-ups ev'rywhare, Growin' round the roots o' trees In Spring-weather? -- what air they Good fer? -- kin you tell me -- Hey? 'Good to look at?' Well they air! 'Specially when Winter's gone; Clean dead-cert'in! and the wood's Green again, and sun feels good's June! -- and shed your blame boots on The back porch, and lit out to Roam round like you ust to do, Bare-foot, up and down the crick, Whare the buckeyes growed so thick, And witch-hazel and pop-paws, And hackberries and black-haws -- With wild pizen-vines jist knit Over and en-nunder it, And wove round it all, I jing! Tel you couldn't hardly stick A durn case-knife through the thing! Wriggle round through that; and then -- All het-up, and scratched and tanned, And muskeeter-bit and mean- Feelin' -- all at onc't again, Come out suddent on a clean Slopin' little hump o' green Dry soft grass, as fine and grand As a pollor-sofy! -- And Jis pile down thare! -- and tell me Anywhares you'd ruther be -- 'Ceptin' right thare, with the wild- Flowrs all round ye, and your eyes Smilin' with 'em at the skies, Happy as a little child! Well! -- right here, I want to say, Poets kin talk all they please 'Bout 'wild-flowrs, in colors gay,' And 'sweet blossoms flauntin' theyr Beauteous fragrunce on the breeze' -- But the sight o' buckeyes jis Sweet to me as blossoms is! "I'm Ohio-born -- right whare People's all called 'Buckeyes' thare -- 'Cause, I s'pose, our buckeye crap's Biggest in the world, perhaps! -- Ner my head don't stretch my hat Too much on account o' that! -- 'Cause it's Natchur's ginerus hand Sows 'em broadcast ore the land, With eye-single fer man's good And the gineral neghborhood! So buckeyes jis natchurly 'Pears like kith-and-kin to me! 'S like the good old sayin' wuz, 'Purty is as purty does!' -- We can't eat 'em, cookd er raw -- Yit, I mind, tomattusuz Wuz considerd pizenus Onc't -- and dasen't eat 'em! -- Pshaw -- 'Twouldn't take me by supprise, Some day, ef we et buckeyes! That, though, 's nuther here ner thare! -- Jis the Buckeye, whare we air, In the present times, is what Ockuppies my lovin' care And my most perfoundest thought! . . . Guess, this minute, what I got In my pocket, 'at I've packed Purt' nigh forty year. -- A dry, Slick and shiny, warped and cracked, Wilted, weazened old buckeye! What's it thare fer? What's my hart In my brest fer? -- 'Cause it's part Of my life -- and 'tends to biz -- Like this buckeye's bound to act -- 'Cause it tends to Rhumatiz! ". . . Ketched more rhumatiz than fish, Seinen', onc't -- and pants froze on My blame legs! -- And ust to wish I wuz well er dead and gone! Doc give up the case, and shod His old hoss again and stayed On good roads! -- And thare I laid! Pap he tuck some bluegrass sod Steeped in whisky, bilin'-hot, And socked that on! Then I got Sorto' holt o' him, somehow -- Kindo' crazy-like, they say -- And I'd killed him, like as not, Ef I hadn't swooned away! Smell my scortcht pelt purt' nigh now! Well -- to make a long tale short -- I hung on the blame disease Like a shavin'-hoss! and sort O' wore it out by slow degrees -- Tel my legs wuz straight enugh To poke through my pants again And kick all the doctor-stuff In the fi-er-place! Then turned in And tuck Daddy Craig's old cuore -- Jis a buckeye -- and that's shore. -- Hain't no case o' rhumatiz Kin subsist whare buckeyes is!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...I AM YOUR WAITER TONIGHT AND MY NAME IS DIMITRI by ROBERT HASS MITRAILLIATRICE by ERNEST HEMINGWAY RIPARTO D'ASSALTO by ERNEST HEMINGWAY WAR VOYEURS by JUAN FELIPE HERRERA THE DREAM OF WAKING by RANDALL JARRELL THE SURVIVOR AMONG GRAVES by RANDALL JARRELL SO MANY BLOOD-LAKES by ROBINSON JEFFERS A BOY'S MOTHER by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY |
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