A PASSEL o' the boys last night -- An' me amongst 'em -- kind o' got To talkin' Temper'nce left an' right, An' workin' up "blue-ribbon," @3hot;@1 An' while we was a-countin' jes' How many hed gone into hit An' signed the pledge, some feller says, -- "Tom Johnson's quit!" We laughed, of course -- 'cause Tom, you know, Has spiled more whisky, boy an' man, And seed more trouble, high an' low, Than any chap but Tom could stand: And so, says I, "@3He's@1 too nigh dead Fer Temper'nce to benefit!" The feller sighed ag'in, and said -- "Tom Johnson's quit!" We all @3liked@1 Tom, an' that was why We sort o' simmered down ag'in, And ast the feller ser'ously Ef he wa'n't tryin' to draw us in: He shuck his head -- tuck off his hat -- Helt up his hand an' opened hit, An' says, says he, "I'll @3swear@1 to that -- Tom Johnson's quit!" Well, we was stumpt, an' tickled, too, -- Because we knowed ef Tom @3hed@1 signed There wa'n't no man 'at wore the "blue" 'At was more honester inclined: An' then and there we kind o' riz, -- The hull dern gang of us 'at bit -- An' th'owed our hats and let 'er whiz, -- @3"Tom Johnson's quit!"@1 I've heerd 'em holler when the balls Was buzzin' 'round us wus'n bees, An' when the ole flag on the walls Was flappin' o'er the enemy's, I've heerd a-many a wild "hooray" 'At made my heart git up an' git -- But Lord! -- to hear 'em shout that way! -- @3"Tom Johnson's quit!"@1 But when we saw the chap 'at fetched The news wa'n't jinin' in the cheer, But stood there solemn-like, an' reched An' kind o' wiped away a tear, We someway sort o' stilled ag'in, And listened -- I kin hear him yit, His voice a-wobblin' with his chin, -- "Tom Johnson's quit!" "I hain't a-givin' you no game -- I wisht I was! . . . An hour ago, This operator -- what's his name -- The one 'at works at night, you know? -- Went out to flag that Ten Express, And sees a man in front of hit Th'ow up his hands an' stagger -- yes, -- @3"Tom Johnson's quit!"@1 | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A PRAYER FOR INDIFFERENCE by FRANCES (FANNY) MACARTNEY GREVILLE AN ANCIENT TO ANCIENTS by THOMAS HARDY THE SONG OF FIONNUALA by THOMAS MOORE THE DRUM by JOHN SCOTT (1730-1783) FIELD AMBULANCE IN RETREAT; VIA DOLOROSA, VIA SACRA by MAY SINCLAIR HYMN TO THE FLOWERS by HORACE SMITH WHITE FOR MOURNING by AL-FATA AL-KAFIF |