About a week before town meeting You have a call from Deacon Plumb, Who hands you out a gracious greeting, Though usually he's pretty glum; Says he, "I've called to get your feeling About that culvert down by Blair's And ask if you consider Kealing The man to run our road affairs? "You know he stands right in with Tenney, He's up for lister—him and Drew— They'll tax us till we hain't a penny, And this is real estate year, too; We folks that live out here in Scrabble Have got to kinder stick and hold, Or else, By Gosh! that village rabble Will build the roads of solid gold. "It's fourteen year sense I was lister— I ain't a-looking for it now— But Tenney's jest a railroad twister, And Drew, he isn't wuth his cow; If we'll wake up I have an inkling That now's the time to land our man; We'll get a pretty decent sprinkling Of village votes from Jim McAnn. "There ain't no very healthy reason, Because he buys the railroad wood, Why such a weathercock as Gleason Should oversee the poor for good; He's got a long St. Albans letter He's showing 'round, with lots of airs, That calls him straight, but we know better, He's crooked as the chamber stairs. "Jake Sykes has writ a short petition For me to make the lister run, And here's my names—good ammunition— But shot and powder needs a gun; You pop my name before the meeting, If that's your pleasure, neighbor Munn, We'll give that village gang a beating, Or else, I Snum, it can't be done. "I ain't a-asking any favors, I never did and never do, But we ain't little bits of shavers To be bossed 'round by dummy Drew; We folks that live out here in Scrabble Have got to kinder hold and stick, Or else that village railroad rabble Will make our wallets mighty sick." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...VIGNETTES OVERSEAS: 8. FLORENCE by SARA TEASDALE THE LOST LEADER by ROBERT BROWNING AT THE WEDDING MARCH by GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS GRENADIER by ALFRED EDWARD HOUSMAN LAUS VENERIS by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE SONNETS OF MANHOOD: 18. A PORTRAIT by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) |