Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SCOTTY, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SCOTTY, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Scotty's dead.-- / of course he is!
Last Line: Luckiest -- and now he's dead!
Alternate Author Name(s): Johnson Of Boone, Benj. F.
Subject(s): Death; Fortune; Dead, The


SCOTTY'S dead. -- Of course he is!
Jes' that same old luck of his! --
Ever sence we went cahoots
He's be'n first, you bet yer boots!
When our schoolin' first begun,
Got two whippin's to my one:
Stold and smoked the first cigar:
Stood up first before the bar,
Takin' whisky-straight -- and me
Wastin' time on "blackberry"!
Beat me in the Army, too,
And clean on the whole way through! --
In more scrapes around the camp,
And more troubles, on the tramp:
Fought and fell there by my side
With more bullets in his hide,
And more glory in the cause, --
That's the kind o' man he was!
Luck liked Scotty more'n me. --
I got married: Scotty, he
Never even would apply
Fer the pension-money I
Had to beg of "Uncle Sam" --
That's the kind o' cuss I am! --
Scotty allus first and best --
Me the last and ornriest!
Yit fer all that's said and done --
All the battles fought and won --
We hain't prospered, him ner me --
Both as pore as pore could be, --
Though we've allus, up tel now,
Stuck together anyhow --
Scotty allus, as I've said,
Luckiest -- And now he's dead!





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