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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
YANKEE FAMILIES, by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND First Line: You s'pose god love de yankee Last Line: For dey're smart enough to do it if dey try. | |||
YOU s'pose God love de Yankee An' de Yankee woman too, Lak he love de folk at home on Canadaw? I dunno -- 'cos if he do, W'at's de reason he don't geev' dem familee Is dere anybody hangin' roun' can answer me W'ile I wait an' smoke dis pipe of good tabac? An' now I'll tole you somet'ing Mebbe help you bimeby, An' dere's no mistak' it's w'at dey call sure sign -- W'en you miss de baby's cry As you're goin' mak' some visit on de State Dat's enough -- you needn't ax if de train's on tam or late, You can bet you're on de Yankee side de line. Unless dere's oder folk dere, Mebbe wan or two or t'ree, Canayen is comin' workin' on de State -- Den you see petite Marie Leetle Joe an' Angelique, Hormisdas an' Dieudonne, But you can't tole half de nam' -- it don't matter any way -- 'Sides de fader he don't t'ink it's not'ing great. De moder, you can see her An' she got de basket dere Wit' de fine t'ing for de chil'ren nice an' slick -- For dey can't get fat on air -- Cucumber, milk, an' onion, some leetle cake also De ole gran'moder's makin' on de farm few days ago -- W'at's use buy dollar dinner mak' dem sick? But look de Yankee woman Wit' de book upon her han', Readin', readin', an' her husban', he can't get Any chance at all, poor man, For sit down, de way de seat's all pile up wit' magazine -- De t'ing lak dat on Canadaw is never, never seen. Wouldn't she be better wit' some chil'ren? Wall! you bet! No wonder dey was bringin' For helpin' dem along So many kin' of feller I dunno -- Chinee washee from Hong Kong An' w'at dey call Da-go, was work for dollar a day, But w'en dey mak' some money, off dey're goin', right away -- Dat's de reason dey was get de nam' Da-go. Of course so long dey're comin' From ev'ry place dey can, Not knowin' moche, dere's not'ing fuss about Only boss de stranger man -- But now dem gang of feller dat's come across de sea -- He's gettin' leetle smarter, an' he got de familee -- So Uncle Sam mus' purty soon look out. I wonder he don't know it -- It's funny he don't see Dere's somet'ing else dan money day an' night -- Non -- he'll work hese'f cra-zee, Den travel roun' de worl', an' use de money too -- De King hese'f can't spen' lak de Yankee man is do -- But w'ere's de leetle chil'ren? dat's not right! W'at's use of all de money If dere ain't some boy an' girl Mak' it pleasan' for de Yankee an' hees wife W'en dey travel on de worl'? For me an' Eugenie dere's not'ing we lak bes' Dan gader up de chil'ren an' get dem nicely dress -- W'y it's more dan half de pleasure of our life. I love de Yankee woman An' de Yankee man also, An' mebbe dey'll be wiser bimeby -- But I lak dem all to know If dey want to kip deir own, let dem raise de familee -- An' den dey'll boss de contree from de mountain to de sea, For dey're smart enough to do it if dey try. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A RAINY DAY IN CAMP by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND AUTUMN DAYS by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND BARBOTTE (BULL-POUT) by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND BATEESE AND HIS LITTLE DECOYS by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND BATEESE THE LUCKY MAN by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND BLOOM - A SONG OF COBALT by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND BOULE by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND BRUNO THE HUNTER by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND CANADIAN FOREVER by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND CAUDA MORRHUAE by WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND |
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