A QUIET boy was Joe Bedotte, An' no sign anw'ere Of anyt'ing at all he got Is up to ordinaire -- An' w'en de teacher tell heem go An' tak' a holiday, For wake heem up, becos' he's slow, Poor Joe would only say, "Wall! meb-be." Don't bodder no wan on de school Unless dey bodder heem, But all de scholar t'ink he's fool Or walkin' on a dream -- So w'en dey re closin' on de spring Of course dey're moche surprise Dat Joe is takin' ev'ryt'ing Of w'at you call de prize. An' den de teacher say, "Jo-seph, I know you're workin' hard -- Becos' w'en I am pass mese'f I see you on de yard A-splittin' wood -- no doubt you stay An' study half de night?" An' Joe he spik de sam' ole way So quiet an' polite, "Wall! meb-be." Hees fader an' hees moder die An' lef' heem dere alone Wit' chil'ren small enough to cry, An' farm all rock an' stone -- But Joe is fader, moder too, An' work bote day an' night An' clear de place -- dat's w'at he do, An' bring dem up all right. De Cure say, "Jo-seph, you know Le bon Dieu's very good -- He feed de small bird on de snow, De caribou on de wood -- But you deserve some credit too -- I spik of dis before." So Joe he dunno w'at to do An' only say wance more, "Wall! meb-be." An' Joe he leev' for many year An' helpin' ev'ry wan Upon de parish far an' near Till all hees money's gone -- An' den de Cure come again Wit' tear-drop on hees eye -- He know for sure poor Joe, hees frien', Is well prepare to die. "Wall! Joe, de work you done will tell W'en you get up above -- De good God he will treat you well An' geev' you all hees love. De poor an' sick down here below, I'm sure dey'll not forget," An' w'at you t'ink he say, poor Joe, Drawin' hees only breat'? "Wall! meb-be." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DOMESDAY BOOK: MRS. MURRAY by EDGAR LEE MASTERS AN ODE, PARAPHRASED: THE CUP by ANACREON EPITAPH ON HIMSELF by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE THE PRIESTHOOD by GEORGE HERBERT TO THE DRIVING CLOUD by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW SAN GABRIEL by LYMAN WHITNEY ALLEN |