LAS' July -- and, I persume, 'Bout as hot As the old Gran'-jury room Whare they sot! -- Fight 'twixt Mike and Dock Mc-Greff. . . . 'Pears to me jes' like as ef I'd a-dremp' the whole blame thing -- Allus ha'nts me roun' the gizzard When they's nightmares on the wing And a feller's blood's jes' friz! Seed the row from A to Izzard -- 'Cause I wuz a-standin' as clos't to 'em As me and you is! Tell you the way it wuz -- And I don't @3want@1 to see, Like @3some@1 fellers does, When they's goern to be Any kind o' fuss -- On'y makes a rumpus wuss Fer to @3interfere@1 When theyr dander's riz -- Might as lif to @3cheer!@1 But I wuz a-standin' as clos't to 'em As me and you is! I wuz kind o' strayin' Past the blame saloon -- Heerd some fiddler playin' That old "Hee-cup tune!" I'd @3stopped@1-like, you know, Fer a minit er so, And wuz jes' about Settin' down, when -- @3Jeemses-whizz!@1 -- Whole durn winder-sash fell out! And thare laid Dock McGreff, and Mike A-straddlin' him, all bloody-like, And both a-gittin' down to biz! -- And I wuz a-standin' as clos't to 'em As me and you is! I wuz the on'y man aroun' -- (Durn old-fogey town! 'Peared more like, to me, @3Sund'y@1 than @3Saturd'y!@1) Dog come 'crost the road And tuk a smell And putt right back: Mishler driv by 'ith a load O' cantalo'pes he couldn't sell -- Too mad, 'i jack! To even ast What wuz up, as he went past! Weather most outrageous hot! -- Fairly hear it sizz Roun' Dock and Mike -- tel Dock he shot, -- And Mike he slacked that grip o' his And fell, all spraddled out. Dock riz 'Bout half up, a-spittin' red, And shuck his head. . . . And I wuz a-standin' as clos't to 'em As me and you is! And Dock he says, A-whisperin'-like, -- "It hain't no use A-tryin'! -- Mike He's jes' ripped my daylights loose! -- Git that blame-don fiddler to Let up, and come out here -- You Got some burryin' to do, -- Mike makes @3one,@1 and, I expects, 'Bout ten seconds, I'll make @3two!@1" And he drapped back, whare he'd riz, 'Crost Mike's body, black and blue, Like a great big letter X! -- And I wuz a-standin' as clos't to 'em As me and you is! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A MOTHER TO HER WAKING INFANT by JOANNA BAILLIE INVITATION TO LOVE by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR BURIAL OF THE MINNISINK by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 57. TRUE WOMAN, HER LOVE by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI THE PLEASURES OF IMAGINATION; A POEM. ENLARGED VERSION: BOOK 3 by MARK AKENSIDE SATIRE: 3 by AULUS PERSIUS FLACCUS |