Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE RIGHT FAMILY, by EDGAR ALBERT GUEST Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: With time our notions allus change Last Line: She'd vow her fam'ly was jus' right! Alternate Author Name(s): Guest, Eddie Subject(s): Family Life; Relatives | ||||||||
With time our notions allus change, An' years make old idees seem strange -- Take Mary there -- time was when she Thought one child made a family, An' when our eldest, Jim, was born She used to say, both night an' morn': "One little one to love an' keep, To guard awake, an' watch asleep; To bring up right an' lead him through Life's path is all we ought to do." Two years from then our Jennie came, But Mary didn't talk the same; "Now that's just right," she said to me, "We've got the proper family -- A boy an' girl, God sure is good; It seems as though He understood That I've been hopin' every way To have a little girl some day; Sometimes I've prayed the whole night through -- One ain't enough; we needed two." Then as the months went rollin on, One day the stork brought little John, An' Mary smiled an' said to me; "The proper family is three; Two boys, a girl to romp an' play -- Jus' work enough to fill the day. I never had enough to do, The months that we had only two; Three's jus' right, pa, we don't want more." Still time went on an' we had four. An' that was years ago, I vow, An' we have six fine children now; An' Mary's plumb forgot the day She used to sit an' sweetly say That one child was enough for her To love an' give the proper care; One, two or three or four or five -- Why, goodness gracious, sakes alive, If God should send her ten to-night, She'd vow her fam'ly was jus' right! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MY AUNT ELLA MAE by MICHAEL S. HARPER THE GOLDEN SHOVEL by TERRANCE HAYES LIZARDS AND SNAKES by ANTHONY HECHT THE BOOK OF A THOUSAND EYES: I LOVE by LYN HEJINIAN CHILD ON THE MARSH by ANDREW HUDGINS MY MOTHER'S HANDS by ANDREW HUDGINS PLAYING DEAD by ANDREW HUDGINS THE GLASS HAMMER by ANDREW HUDGINS INSECT LIFE OF FLORIDA by LYNDA HULL |
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