Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, IN FRANCE, by THOMAS AUGUSTINE DALY


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

IN FRANCE, by                    
First Line: We're done wid the thransport. Thank heaven we're here!
Last Line: "oh, meester jeem newell, please do eet som' more!"
Alternate Author Name(s): Daly, T. A.
Subject(s): Soldiers; World War I; First World War


WE'RE done wid the thransport. Thank
Heaven we're here!
But wid all the sea-trampin' we've lately been havin',
Sure the feet on the end o' me pins are still queer,
An' I feel like a mule wid the string-halt an' spavin.
An' the scenes at the dock! Such a murtherin' clatter;
There was ructions enough to be raisin' the dead!
I was proud of our outfit, but what was the matter
Wid Pete Malatest'? Was he out of his head?

Corporal Aroni:

Oh, Sarj', eet was funny. You know w'en we lan'
An' our fallows was movin' deir theengs on da dock,
We was watchin' dat smart engineer capitan
Dat was bossin' da gang weeth da tackle an' block.
Malatest' he was wan dat was peecked for dat job,
An' I know he was tryin' for doin' hees best,
But you see he ees clumsiest kind of a slob,
An' he alla time got een da way of da rest.
Den dat smart engineer, dat's so quiet bayfore,
He joosta start een an' he swear lika hal.
An' dees Pete Malatest', w'en de capitan swore,
He looked een hees face an' he lat out a yal;
An' he put hees two han's on da capitan's chest,
An' he smiled weetha joy. Den I hearda heem say:
"You are Meester Jeem Newell, I worked weeth out West;
I joost deed not know teell you swore dat ole way;
But so soon as you deed I was sure eet was you,
For I worked weetha you on da P. D. & Q!"
Dey was railaroad men in Wyoming, you see!
An' da capitan, too, was so pleased as could be,
An' he shooka Pete's han'; an' Pete looka so please'
I thought he was sure gona geeve heem a keess.
But he said: "Eet was joosta like home w'en you swore --
Oh, Meester Jeem Newell, please do eet som' more!"





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