Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, OUR OLD VERMONT LUMBER WAGON, by DANIEL LEAVENS CADY


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

OUR OLD VERMONT LUMBER WAGON, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: A thing that often 'pears to me
Last Line: Our old blue lumber wagon.
Subject(s): Farm Life; Labor & Laborers; Lumber & Lumbering; Vermont; Wagons; Agriculture; Farmers; Work; Workers; Woodsmen


A THING that often 'pears to me
At night, and which I'd like to see
Jest as, By George! it used to be,
Is our old lumber wagon.

The wheels was made by wheelwright Rice,
Whose wheelwright work was extry nice;
He also spliced the crossbar twice
Of that same lumber wagon.

We made the body part ourselves,
From boards that once was buttery shelves,
White pine—the pride of woodland elves—
A classy lumber wagon.

'Twas ironed up by blacksmith Drew,
Whose eye and iron both was true,
And I was 'lowed to paint it blue—
Our old blue lumber wagon.

It had no strange "fifth wheel" to vex
Our eyes, and make us stretch our necks,
The kingbolt went right through the ex
Of our old lumber wagon.

It had no tailboard, rigged to swing,
No seat on which to smoke and sing,
No brake, no shoe, no anything—
'Twas jest a lumber wagon.

But when 'twas loaded up with muck,
My! how them grease-fed wheels would chuck;
It "talked" like Jim Kiniry's truck—
Our one-horse lumber wagon.

Oh! if my feelings might prevail
'Twould stand inside my office rail,
And never be for rent or sale—
Our old blue lumber wagon.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net