I'M only jes' a little chap, An' my ma says I'm frail; I got ec-a-lec-tic fits, 'At's why I'm lookin' pale. Once I had a ague chill, An', oh, how I did shake 'Cause aunty wouldn't give me any Jelly tarts an' cake! Once when it was summer Once, an' nice an' warm, nen me An' Jennie went in our back yard 'Nd climbed a cherry tree. An' she ate all the cherries, too, An' fed me all the pits, An' my ma said 'at's jes' what give Me ec-a-lec-tic fits. When bad girls comes to our house They mustn't scare me, too, An' romp up quick against me Like they's playin' peek-a-boo, 'Cause ma she'll say right out to 'em: "See here, now, children, quit! I guess you'll have to run right home 'Fore Wadsworth has a fit." Sometime I'll be strong'nd well An' big like Uncle Dan, An' he'll be little jes' like me, When I'm a grown-up man, 'Nd nen I won't be scarin' people Almost out their wits, 'Cause 'en I won't go 'round a-havin' Ec-a-lec-tic fits. When you see me turnin' blue An' when my hands gits cold, Don't you git afraid o' that; But jes' you git a hold Of me, an' rub my hands, 'Nd rub my neck 'nd head Till I "come out" -- 'cause if you don't I'm li'ble to git dead. I wouldn't care if I should die 'Nd go up there, would you, Where the sun is peekin' 'round The clouds, up where it's blue? 'Cause there they ain't no worry, An' they's lots o' little bits Of fellers, an' they's none of 'em Got ec-a-lec-tic fits. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BIRDS by WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS CAVALIER TUNES: BOOT AND SADDLE by ROBERT BROWNING SONNET: 46 by WILLIAM DRUMMOND OF HAWTHORNDEN WHEN THE KYE CAME HOME by JAMES HOGG THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON LOW; A MIDSUMMER LEGEND by MARY HOWITT THE LOST CHORD by ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER |