When Father Answered No

When we wuz boys upon the farm,

      As wild as wild could be,

We wuz about as full uv pranks

      As you could wish to see,

Especially if pa warn’t round

      To see the things we done;

Though pa sometimes warn’t fur behind

      When it come down to fun.

But pa wuz allus up an’ down,

      An’ meant jest what he said;

He never spoke a secunt time

When it wuz time fur bed.

He wouldn’t stan’ no sulkiness,

        An’ teasin’ wouldn’t go;

We never argued pro or con

        When father answered “no”.

We warn’t afraid uv pa, ‘cuz he

        Hed never larruped us;

But he would allus give a look

        That meant as bad, or wuss.

No matter what we wished to do,

        Or where we wished to go,

The thing wuz settled then an’ there

        When father answered “no”.

We thought that father wuz severe,

        But we hev lived to know

The value of that little word

        That used to vex us so.

We know we got the right ideas

        To meet a world of woe;

We got a grip upon ourselves

        When father answered “no”.

Sept. 3, ‘09