Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

OUP IN OLE VERMONT by MARY ELKINS GARDYNE

First Line: P'RAP YOU HEAR DE PAPER TOLE
Last Line: BACK OUP IN OLE VERMONT.
P'rap you hear de paper tole
Of beeg man on de Stat'
Who boss ra'lroad an' politique,
An' hever't'ing dat's great.
Jus' kip dis on your head ma frien
You fin' pour certainment,
De bes' of all of dem was raise
Back oup in ole Vermont.
I got me wan mos' firs'-class job—
Dat's valet for rich man
Who don' stay long on de sam' place
But pass so soon he can.
Som'tam Bos'ton—som'tam Spo'kane—
I go jos' w'ere he want.
But w'ere I lak to place ma foot
Ees oup in ole Vermont.
W'en Central Park leef oup her head
An' sout' win' blow some more,
W'en al de lettle bird sing out
Dat Wintertam ees o'er,
He t'ink de sam t'ing I do me,
Je ne sais pas comment,
'T is dat de sugar-tam ees come
Back oup in ole Vermont.
He say, "Pierre, pack portemanteau.
Leev out ma beaver hat
An' full-dress suit. W'ere I was go
I hav' no use for dat.
Depeche-toi donc! I'm beeg hur-ry—"
An' he look tres savant,
An' say, "I got some beez-neese, me,
Back oup in ole Vermont."
We'en we was start on ra'l-road train
He tak' a drawing room
An' say, "Bien! Restez-vous tranquille.
Jos mak' you'self to home."
He laugh an' talk lak he was boy,
An' tell me wit' vraiment
De happiest day of all hees life
Was oup in ole Vermont.
We drive oup w'ere hees fader leev
Right troo de lettle town.
Les enfants know who dat was dere
An' pass de news aroun'.
Les amis come for say, "Bon jour";
An' all de habitant,
For dat's de welcome dat dey geev
Back oup in ole Vermont.
De wick we pass oup on de farm
I mos' forget ma place.
We work, an' heat at sam' tab'le
An' t'ink eet no disgrace.
Ba gosh! We mak' de ham an' egg
Look insignificant,
De pie an' do 'nut, pork an' bean,
Back oup in ole Vermont.
New York's al right for mak' monee,
An' Washington for fame,
But hif you want to leev, ma frien'
Vermont's de place an' name.
We all be better man, I know,
Hif we could go souvent
An' tak' a wick in sugar-tam
Back oup in ole Vermont.



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