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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CLARE DE KITCHEN, by                    
First Line: In old kentuck in de arternoon
Last Line: "and w'en you go to court 'em dey say, 'o hush.' / so clare, &c"


IN OLD KENTUCK in de arternoon,
We sweep de floor wid a bran-new broom,
And arter that we form a ring,
And dis de song dat we do sing:
Oh! Clare de kitchen, old folks, young folks,
Clare de kitchen, old folks, young folks,
Old Virginny never tire.

I went to de creek, I couldn't git across,
I'd nobody wid me but an old blind horse;
But Old Jim Crow came riding by,
Says he, old fellow, your horse will die.
So clare, &c.

My horse fell down upon de spot,
Says he, "Don't you see his eyes is sot?"
So I took out my knife and off wid his skin,
And when he comes to life I'll ride him agin.
So clare, &c.

A jay bird sot on a hickory limb,
He wink'd at me and I winked at him;
I pick'd up a stone and I hit his shin,
Says he, "You better not do dat agin."
So clare, &c.

A bullfrog dress'd in soger's close
Went in de field to shoot some crows;
De crows smell powder and fly away,
De bullfrog mighty mad dat day.
So clare, &c.

Den down I went wid Cato Moore,
To see de steamboat come ashore;
Every man for himself, so I pick'd up a trunk;
"Leff off," said de captain, "or I burn you wid a chunk."
And clare, &c.

I hab a sweetheart in dis town,
She wears a yellow striped gown,
And when she walks de streets around,
De hollow of her foot make a hole in de ground.
Now clare, &c.

Dis love is a ticklish ting, you know,
It makes a body feel all over so;
I put de question to coal-black Rose,
She as black as ten of spades, and got a lubby flat nose.
So clare, &c.

Go away says she wid your cowcumber shin,
If you come here agin I stick you wid a pin;
So I turn on my heel and I bid her good bye,
And arter I was gone she began to cry.
So clare, &c.

So now I'se up and off, you see,
To take a julep sangaree;
I'll sit upon a tater hill,
And eat a little whippoorwill.
So clare, &c.

I wish I was back in Old Kentuck,
For since I left it I had no luck;
De gals so proud dey wont eat mush,
And w'en you go to court 'em dey say, "O hush."
So clare, &c.





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