US-FOLKS is purty pore -- but Ma She's waitin' -- two years more -- tel Pa He serves his term out. Our Pa he -- @3He's in the Penitenchurrie!@1 Now don't you tell! -- 'cause @3Sis,@1 The baby, @3she@1 don't know he is. -- 'Cause she wuz only four, you know, He kissed her last an' hat to go! Pa alluz liked Sis best of all Us children. -- 'Spect it's 'cause she fall When she 'uz ist a @3child,@1 one day -- An' make her back look thataway. Pa -- 'fore he be a burglar -- he's A locksmiff, an' maked locks, an' keys, An' knobs you pull fer bells to ring, An' he could ist make @3anything!@1 -- 'Cause our Ma @3say@1 he can! -- @3An'@1 this Here little pair of crutches Sis Skips round on -- Pa maked @3them@1 -- yes-sir! -- An' silivur-plate-name here fer her! Pa's out o' work when Chris'mus come One time, an' stay away from home, An' 's drunk an' 'buse our Ma, an' swear They ain't no "Old Kriss" anywhere! An' Sis she alluz say they @3wuz@1 A' Old Kriss -- an' she alluz does. But ef they @3is@1 a' Old Kriss, why, When's Chris'mus, Ma she alluz @3cry?@1 This Chris'mus @3now,@1 we live here in Where Ma's rent's alluz due ag'in -- An' she "ist slaves" -- I heerd her say She did -- ist them words thataway! An' th'other night, when all's so cold An' stove's 'most out -- our Ma she rolled Us in th' old feather-bed an' said, "To-morry's Chris'mus -- go to bed, "An' thank yer blessed stars fer this -- We don't @3'spect@1 nothin' from old Kriss!" An' cried, an' locked the door, an' prayed, An' turned the lamp down. . . . An' I laid There, thinkin' in the dark ag'in, "Ef @3wuz@1 Old Kriss, he can't git in, 'Cause ain't no chimbly here at all -- Ist old stovepipe struck frue the wall!" I sleeped nen. -- An' wuz dreamin' some When I waked up an' mornin' 's come, -- Fer our Ma she wuz settin' square Straight up in bed, a-readin' there Some letter 'at she'd read, an' quit, An' nen hold like she's huggin' it. -- An' diamon' ear-rings she don't @3know@1 Wuz in her ears tel I say so -- An' wake the rest up. An' the sun In frue the winder dazzle-un Them eyes o' Sis's, wiv a sure- Enough gold chain Old Kriss bringed to 'er! An' @3all@1 of us git gold things! -- Sis, Though, say she know it @3"ain't@1 Old Kriss -- He kissed her, so she waked an' saw Him skite out -- an' it wuz her Pa." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DAYBREAK by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: BENJAMIN PANTIER by EDGAR LEE MASTERS ODE [FOR MUSIC] ON ST. CECILIA'S DAY by ALEXANDER POPE FESTE'S SONG (1), FR. TWELFTH NIGHT by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THE SHEPHEARDES CALENDER: DEDICATORY SONNET by EDMUND SPENSER THE DEATH OF ADONIS by THEOCRITUS |