Our First Serenade

I never kin fergit the time we surrenaded fust;

Jewhizz! warn’t I swelled up thet night, I’d got to blow er bust.

I wus ther leader, an’ I hed more braid across my chest,

An’ wider stripes upon my pants than any uv the rest.

An’ Sally Winkins’ big blue eyes war fastened on me, tew;

Which made me sort uv nervous like, an’ wish thet it wus through.

We war tew surrenade Bill Sims, who’d lately be’n an’ hitched,

An’ thar we stood outside ther gate a-tryin’ tew git pitched.

Ike Dodge hed lef’ his B-flat shank, the clar’nets hedn’t come,

An’ Uncle Josh fergot the strap fer hol’in’ up his drum.

One alto hed fergot his book, an’ Ham, who played the bass,

Wus on another kin uv toot, so vacant wus his place.

The boys all seemed to be mixed up, an’ ‘twarn’t their fault per’aps,

Thet some thought ‘twas a dress parade an’ wore their helmet caps.

But on the number uv ther piece, as often is the case,

We got into a wrangle an’ they lef’ me in disgrace.

Now Bill hed wed a city gal, an’ sought ter sling on style,

But she looked on the doin’s with a funny kin of smile;

An' when he saw the band depart he loudly swore an’ raved,

But she remarked in measured tones: “thank Heaven, Will, we’re saved”.

May 12, ‘91

Pub. in “Leader”.