Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


DA VERRA LEETLA BABY by THOMAS AUGUSTINE DALY

First Line: IRISH PADRE TOMMEECKBRIDE
Last Line: W'EN HE DO DA BEST HE CAN!
Subject(s): BAPTISM; CHRISTENINGS;

IRISH Padre Tommeeckbride
Laughed an' laughed onteell he cried.
Always he ees do dat way
At mos' evra theeng I say.
Ees no matter w'at I spoke,
He would tak' eet for a joke;
Eet's a shame to tease a man
W'en he do da best he can!

Now, for eenstance, yestaday
Dere's a chrees'nin' down our way;
Eet's a baby call' "Carlott'"
Dat my cousin Rosa's got.
O! so small, jus' two weeks old --
Een wan handa you could hold!
Wal, I am da wan dat stand
For dees leetla child, my frand --
How you call een deesa land?
"Godda-father?" Yes, dat's me!
Wal, w'en all ees done, you see,
An' da child ees bapatize',
Padre Tommeeckbride, he cries:
"Evrabody com' dees way.
We must write eet down," he say.

While he's writin' een da book,
From my pocket here I took
Twenta-fi'-cent piece, my frand,
An' I put eet een hees hand.
"Thanks!" he say, an' smiles at me.
Den Bianca Baldi, she --
While da padre looks at eet --
Wheespers: "Dat's a leetle beet!"
"Sure," I tal her, "dat'sa true,
But da baby's leetla, too."

Irish Padre Tommeckbride
Laughed an' laughed onteell he cried.
Always he ees do dat way
At mos' evratheeng I say;
Eet's a shame to tease a man
W'en he do da best he can!



Home: PoetryExplorer.net