Shakespeare and the Pole

Said ol’ Bill Jones the grocer man,

     To all the listnin’ “ring”,

“Don’t know ef Shakespeare writ them plays,

     Or some one else, I jing!

What diffrunce is it goin’ to make

     To clear the matter up?

They can’t reward the writer now

     With no big lovin’ cup.”

“‘Twon’t make no diffrunce here to home

     ‘Twon’t make no odds to him;

He’s dead an’ gone an’ praises now

     Would be most awful slim.

The time to find out who is who,

     An’ who done this an’ that,

Is when the parties are alive

     An’ who done this an’ that,

Is when the parties are alive

     An’ folks know where they’re at.”

Said ol’ Bill Jones, the grocer man:

     “They kennot prove it now;

What made ‘em wait 300 years?

     It’s foolish anyhow.

The time to fix sech questions up

     Is right upon the dot;

Ef I hed b’en alive them days

     I’d fixed it, tell y’what.”

Said Abner Hawkins then to Bill:

     “Ef you’re so all-fired smart

At findin’ out sech things ez these

     Why don’t you try your art

On myst’ries uv the present day?

     Find out who found the pole!”

An’ the Bill Jones the grocer man

     Found he wuz in a hole.

Nov. 17, ‘09

For Sunday, Nov. 21, ‘09