Boys Together

When we were boys together, boys, down in the woodland deep,

Where threw the valley soft an’ green the river uster creep

An’ wind itself, so serpent like, down threw the medder lot

An’ join the stream erbove the pond in one dark, shady spot,

Them wuz the days we uster live, ‘twas like a golden dream,

When we were boys together, boys, down by the dear old stream.

When we were boys together, boys, down in the schoolhouse yard

A-playin’ tag, or “two ol’ cat” out on the boulevard;

When we were playin’ “hunt the wolf” off yunder on the hill,

Or dressed ez injun warriors, all painted up to kill,

Them wuz the times we uster live, boun’ close in Natur’s arms

When we wuz boys turgether, boys, down on the ol’ home farms.

When we were boys turgether, boys, threwout the cloudy days,

When we were held by bonds uv love, tho’ goin’ diffrunt ways;

When we were North an’ South and West, an’ life wuz hard an’ bare,

We looked back on the good ol’ days an’ lightened our despair.

An’ then we knew we hed some fr’en’s, an’ we took heart egen,

An’ we were boys turgether, boys, an’ not discouraged men.

When we are boys turgether, boys up yender by an’ by,

When we at las’ shell gether on our playground in the sky;

When we shell all j’in hands ergen no more to roam afar,

To play thet grand, eternal game, where God’s good children are;

Where love shell be the guidin’ star, an’ sorrer stalk no more,

Then we’ll be boys turgether, boys, but happier then uv yore.

April 18, ‘99

Joker for May, 99