The “Lizzard Crick” Poems - Lizzard Crick

  

I told you 'bout my visit once,

     Down ‘ere on Lizzard Crick;

‘At year I spent in Meddertown,

     ‘Ith aunt and uncle Dick.

An’ ‘o’ I’’ve never be’n ‘ere sence,

     I love tur set an’ dream

Uv birds an’ flowers an’ happy hours

     I spent erlong the stream.

O, ‘at was jesser rippin’ place,

     A reg’lar parrerdise;

‘Twas jesser lazy, dreamin’ hole,

     Reflectin’ purty skies;

‘Ith now an’ ‘en a p’inted breeze,

     A-scootin’ crost the top;

A-scarin’ pick’rel ‘way frum shore

     Jes’ when I hoped ‘ey’d stop.

‘Eres medders ‘ere, an’ marshy holes,

     Where mus’rats laze eroun’; –

You’d orter seen ‘em scoot frum sight

     When I ud happin down

Ermongst ‘em! Feared uv me, but I

     Wouldn’ a-teched one, ‘o’;

Wouldn’t a-darster, – but ‘twas fun,

     Tur whoop an’ see ‘em go.

Big water snakes ‘ere too, but we

     We kiner ‘greed atween

Ourselves tur let each other ‘lone,

     ‘N go diffrunt ways. I’ve seen

‘Emm longer’n eels what uncle caught

     In pots. – But fish is thick;

An' bull-frogs an’ turkles an’ tuds,

     Down ‘ere on Lizzard Crick.

An’ all the time the water goes

     A-swingin’, lazy like;

A-curvin’ in an’ out, an’ ‘en

     Is lost beyen’ the dike.

An’ on the banks swamp apples grow,

     Ez fast ez ‘ey kin stick;

An’ lilies bloom an; shed perfume,

     Down ‘ere on Lizzard Crick.

May 5, ‘94

Pub. in Boston

Courier, Sept. 9, 

  1898