O BIG Old Tree, so tall an' fine, Where all us childern swings an' plays, Though neighbers says you're on the line Between Pa's house an' Mr. Gray's, -- Us childern used to almost fuss, Old Tree, about you when we'd play. We'd argy you belonged to @3us,@1 An' them Gray-kids the other way! Till @3Elsie,@1 one time @3she@1 wuz here An' playin' wiv us -- Don't you mind, Old Mister Tree? -- an' purty near She scolded us the hardest kind Fer quar'llin' 'bout you thataway, An' say @3she'll@1 find -- ef we'll keep still -- Whose tree you air @3fer shore,@1 she say, An' settle it @3fer good,@1 she will! So all keep still: An' nen she gone An' pat the Old Tree, an' says she, -- "Whose @3air@1 you, Tree?" an' nen let on Like she's a-list'nin' to the Tree, -- An' nen she say, "It's settled, -- 'cause The Old Tree says he's @3all@1 our tree -- His @3trunk@1 belongs to bofe your Pas, But @3shade@1 belongs to you an' me." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 78. BODY'S BEAUTY by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI NATIONAL ODE; INDEPENDENCE SQUARE, PHILADELPHIA by BAYARD TAYLOR THE EUMENIDES: CHORUS by AESCHYLUS EPIGRAM ON SAID OCCASION by ROBERT BURNS |