'RAS WILSON, I respect you, 'cause You're common, like you allus was Afore you went to town and s'prised The world by gittin' "reckonized," And yit perservin', as I say, Your common hoss-sense ev'ryway! And when that name o' yourn occurs On hand-bills, er in newspapers, Er letters writ by friends 'at ast About you, same as in the past, And neghbors and relations 'low You're out o' the tall timber now, And "gittin' thare" about as spry's The next! -- as @3I say,@1 when my eyes, Er ears, lights on your name, I mind The first time 'at I come to find You -- and my Rickollection yells, Jest jubilunt as old sleigh-bells -- "'Ras Wilson! Say! Hold up! and shake A paw, fer old acquaintance sake!" My @3Rickollection,@1 more'n like, Hain't overly too apt to strike The what's-called "cultchurd public eye" As wisdum of the deepest dye, -- And yit my @3Rickollection@1 makes So blame lots fewer bad mistakes, Regardin' human-natur' and The fellers 'at I've shook theyr hand, Than my @3best jedgemunt's@1 done, the day I've met 'em -- 'fore I got away, -- 'At -- Well, 'Ras Wilson, let me grip @3Your@1 hand in warmest pardnership! Dad-burn ye! -- Like to jest haul back A' old flat-hander, jest che-whack! And take you 'twixt the shoulders, say, Sometime you're lookin' t'other way! -- Er, maybe whilse you're speakin' to A whole blame Court-house-full o' 'thu- Syastic friends, I'd like to jest Come in-like and break up the nest Afore you hatched another cheer, And say: "'Ras, @3I@1 can't stand hitched here All night -- ner wouldn't ef I could! -- But Little Bethel Neghborhood, You ust to live at, 's sent some word Fer you, ef ary chance occurred To git it to ye, -- so ef you @3Kin@1 stop, I'm waitin' fer ye to!" You're common, as I said afore -- You're common, yit oncommon @3more@1. -- You allus kindo' 'pear, to me, What all mankind had ort to be -- Jest @3natchurl,@1 and the more hurraws You git, the less you know the cause -- Like as ef God Hisse'f stood by, Where best on earth hain't half knee-high, And @3seein'@1 like, and knowin' @3He@1 'S the Only Grate Man really, You're jest content to size your hight With any feller man's in sight. -- And even then they's scrubs, like me, Feels stuck-up, in your company! Like now: -- I want to go with you Plum out o' town a mile er two Clean past the Fair-ground whare's some hint O' pennyrile er peppermint, And bottom-lands, and timber thick Enugh to sorto' shade the crick! I want to @3see@1 you -- want to set Down somers, whare the grass hain't wet, And kindo' @3breathe@1 you, like puore air -- And taste o' your tobacker thare, And talk and chaw! Talk o' the birds We've knocked with cross-bows. -- Afterwards Drop, mayby, into some dispute 'Bout "pomgrannies," er cal'mus-root -- And how @3they@1 growed, and @3whare?@1 -- on tree Er vine? -- Who's best boy-memory! -- And wasn't it @3gingsang,@1 insted O' cal'mus-root, growed like you said? -- Er how to tell a coon-track from A mussrat's; -- er how milksick come -- Er ef @3cows@1 brung it? -- Er why now We never see no "muley"-cow -- Ner "frizzly"-chicken -- ner no "clay- Bank" mare -- ner nothin' thataway! -- And what's come o' the @3yeller@1-core Old wortermelons? -- hain't no more. -- Tomattusus, the same -- all @3red@1- Uns nowadays -- All past joys fled -- Each and all jest gone k-whizz! Like our days o' childhood is! Dag-gone it, 'Ras! they hain't no friend, It 'pears-like, left to comperhend Sich things as these but you, and see How dratted sweet they air to me! But you, 'at's loved 'em allus, and Kin sort 'em out and understand 'Em, same as the fine books you've read, And all fine thoughts you've writ, er said, Er worked out, through long nights o' rain, And doubts and fears, and hopes, again, As bright as morning when she broke, -- You know a tear-drop from a joke! And so, 'Ras Wilson, stop and shake A paw, fer old acquaintance sake! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...UPON JULIA'S CLOTHES by ROBERT HERRICK MAN, THE MAN-HUNTER by CARL SANDBURG SONG OF YOUTH by LULU PIPER AIKEN |