MY FIRST WOMERN by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

I BURIED my first womern
In the spring; and in the fall
I was married to my second,
And hain't settled yit at all! --
Fer I'm allus thinkin' -- thinkin'
Of the first one's peaceful ways,
A-bilin' soap and singin'
Of the Lord's amazin' grace.

And I'm thinkin' of her, constant,
Dyin' carpet-chain and stuff,
And a-makin' up rag carpets,
When the @3floor@1 was good enough!
And I mind her he'p a-feedin'
And I riccollect her now
A-drappin' corn, and keepin'
Clos't behind me and the plow!

And I'm allus thinkin' of her
Reddin' up around the house;
Er cookin' fer the farm-hands;
Er a-drivin' up the cows. --
And there she lays out yander
By the lower medder fence,
Where the cows was barely grazin',
And they're usin' ever sence.

And when I look acrost there --
Say it's when the clover's ripe,
And I'm settin', in the evenin',
On the porch here, with my pipe,
And the @3other'n@1 hollers "Henry!" --
W'y they ain't no sadder thing
Than to think of my first womern
And her funeral last spring
Was a year ago --

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...