Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DOWN AROUND THE RIVER, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DOWN AROUND THE RIVER, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Noon-time and june-time, down around the river
Last Line: Noon-time and june-time down around the river!
Alternate Author Name(s): Johnson Of Boone, Benj. F.
Subject(s): Fish & Fishing; June; Rivers


NOON-TIME and June-time, down around the river!
Have to furse with Lizey Ann -- but lawzy! I fergive her!
Drives me off the place, and says 'at all 'at she's a-wishin',
Land o' gracious! time'll come I'll git enough o' fishin'!
Little Dave, a-choppin' wood, never 'pears to notice;
Don't know where she's hid his hat, er keerin' where his coat is, --
Specalatin', more'n like, he hain't a-goin' to mind me,
And guessin' where, say twelve o'clock, a feller'd likely find me.

Noon-time and June-time, down around the river!
Clean out o' sight o' home, and skulkin' under kivver
Of the sycamores, jack-oaks, and swamp-ash and ellum --
Idies all so jumbled up, you kin hardly tell 'em! --
Tired, you know, but lovin' it, and smilin' jes' to think 'at
Any sweeter tiredness you'd fairly want to drink it.
Tired o' fishin' -- tired o' fun -- line out slack and slacker --
All you want in all the world's a little more tobacker!

Hungry, but a-hidin' it, er jes' a-not a-keerin': --
Kingfisher gittin' up and skootin' out o' hearin';
Snipes on the t'other side, where the County Ditch is,
Wadin' up and down the aidge like they'd rolled their britches!
Old turkle on the root kind o' sort o' drappin'
Intoo th' worter like he don't know how it happen!
Worter, shade and all so mixed, don't know which you'd orter
Say, th' worter in the shadder -- shadder in the worter!

Somebody hollerin' -- 'way around the bend in
Upper Fork -- where yer eye kin jes' ketch the endin'
Of the shiney wedge o' wake some muss-rat's a-makin'
With that pesky nose o' his! Then a sniff o' bacon,
Corn-bread and 'dock-greens -- and little Dave a-shinnin'
'Crost the rocks and mussel-shells, a-limpin' and a-grinnin',
With yer dinner fer ye, and a blessin' from the giver.
Noon-time and June-time down around the river!





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