Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

VERMONT KITCHEN POLES by DANIEL LEAVENS CADY

First Line: THERE'S LOTS OF OLD VERMONTISH SIGHTS
Last Line: ABOVE THE KITCHEN STOVE.
Subject(s): VERMONT;
There's lots of old Vermontish sights
Which keep our eyes in tow;
Which dog, as 'twere, our days and nights,
From Simonsville to Stowe;
Beneath whatever roof I step,
As here and there I rove,
I always look to find the poles
Above the kitchen stove.

Two great long spars on iron hooks,
And right acrost 'em laid
Two smaller ones—not much on looks
And seldom "factory made;"
I'm sure we shaved our own from spruce
That grew in Gridley's grove,
And there they hung, the last I knew,
Above the Stewart stove.

Each pole, it had two ends or more,
The large as well as small,
Four ends was towards the outside door,
Four towards the "dining hall,"
And hats, caps, frocks and drying cloths
Around them crossbars throve,
Until it looked like Salem street
Above the kitchen stove.

We used to put the frames aboard
On which was strung to dry
The big pound sweets we'd pared and cored
For applesass and pie:
How good them fruity garlands smelt!—
Where'er my footprints rove,
I look for apple on the poles
Above the kitchen stove.

I used up all the parts of speech
A-wishing I could hang
My cap 'way up there out of reach,
The same as Slimmy Lang;
He swore at me in Latin once
And said, "By Magnus Jove!
You'll have to grow to use the poles,
Or stand upon the stove."

The days the washing would a-froze
Outdoors, instead of dried,
We used to hang the colored clothes
Upon the poles inside;
'Twas fun to see 'em hanging there,
The different shades of mauve,
It showed you that the place for poles
Was 'bove the kitchen stove.

If I should ever own a farm
Up here in Old Vermont,
It won't do any special harm
To tell you what I'd want;
Some ducks and squabs and Jersey cows,
About a half a drove,
But most of all a set of poles
Above the kitchen stove.



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