Nature Sonnets (By the Village Poet)

The big red rooster lives next door to us

     Feels pretty middlin’ big day after day,

     And goes about the yard in such a way

He makes an’ awful noise an’ lots of fuss,

And indications are he wants to start a huss.

     He flies upon our fence an’ struts an’ crows,

     But further’n that, mind you, he never goes

Jest struts an’ squawks an’ swears, or somethin’ wuss.

I wish he would jump down an’ have a go

     With our’n, but pa says he knows a heap

Of folks jest like that rooster; they will crow

     An’ jaw an’ strut an’ blow, but allus keep

Right on the fence so they kin allus get,

Ef it should chance to storm, out of the wet.

Dec. 8, 1912