“Lizzard Crick Poems” - Ketchin’ Aunty’s Ol’ Black Cat

Ast uncle once if I could set

     One uv them steel traps uv his;

Tol’ him I seen some aunumuls,

     Bigger’n what the ol’ ol’ cat is

Down in the medder nigh the brick,

     Seen the’r toe marks in the sand

Nigh to a hole. Said he guessed not,

     ‘Ud be apt tur ketch my hand.

But guessed ‘at I knew howter set

     A steel trap, ‘thought getting’ ketched

Myself; an’ so I plunked her there,

     ‘N’ thought how he’d laff when I fetched

A coon or mebbie woodchuck home,

     Next mornin’ erbout sunrise;

But, when I creeped up to ‘at hole

     Heerd some soft an’ mournful cries.

An’ ‘ere wuz aunty’s ol’ black cat,

     Lookin’ wistful like at me;

N’ it made me bawl ‘n wisht I’s dead, –

     Hurt her hind laigs, so, you see.

An’ tender like I took her home,

     An’ confest tur uncle Dick;

‘N he jawed, n’en said I wuz

     Best boy ‘twuz on Lizzard Crick.

    

May 8, ‘94

Dec. 22, ‘96