My Daddy’s Violin

W’en daddy face to face did lay,

     With thet grim monster, death,

He called me to him an’ did say

     With his almost las’ breath: –

“Now Zeke, I’m goin’ to leave ye soon –

     Sho, Sho, now don’t begin –

An' promise me ter keep in tune

     Yer daddy’s violin.

“I kennot take it over there,

     Tho’ oft I wish I might,

So I must leave it in yer care,

     Now promise, Zeke, to-night.

“It’s cheered my heart fer many years,

     It’s kep’ me frum despair;

It’s kep’ away the doubts an’ fears

     Uv a life full uv care.

“An’ Zeke, w’en storms uv life rip things,

     Jes’ take the violin,

An’ draw the bow across the strings,

     An’ let yer heart jine in.

“But, w’en I’m gone – there, there my boy, –

     Jes’ lay it on my breast,

An’ leave it there in silent joy

     Tell I am laid to rest.

“Then take it, use it, make it sing!

     T’will keep ye out of sin!”

Then he fell back, an’ every string

     Snapped on that violin.

But years hev passed since daddy died,

     How quickly they hev sped!

An’ oftentimes w’en sore an’ tried

     I hev been comforted,

As daddy said I would; an’, too,

     I hev been kep’ frum sin,

By stayin’ in the long nights through

     To play his violin.

July 11, ‘91

Pub. in Boston

        Leader,

Sept. 1, ‘91