Her Eyes of Brown

 

Her Eyes of Brown

 

 

When I look in her eyes of brown

     Across the table day by day;

No matter if she smile or frown,

     All speech of mine is held at bay.

I only know that she is there,

     A jewel in my muse’s crown;

But tell her so, I do not dare,

     When I look in her eyes of brown.

 

Her eyes of brown are deep, so deep

     That I am lost, as one at sea;

They haunt me in my hours of sleep,

     Through busy days they dwell with me.

Their liquid depths are food and drink

     To one within a lonely town;

Tho ’twere less clear for me, I think,

     When I look in her eyes of brown.

 

July 13, ‘09

 

 

Missing Words Poem

 

 Missing Words Poem.

 

 

We have two missing words today,

     Which you may find, dear friend,

If you will read, with utmost care,

     This poem to the end.

They are two, simple, common words.

     Used by the grave and gay;

Words on most everybody’s tongue,

     Especially today.

 

You have not come across them yet,

     Unless, like womankind

You’ve peeked ahead – we trust you’ve not –

     To ease your prying mind!

Read on with patience to the end,

     It is the only way

To get the beauties of a tale

     No matter what they say.

 

Two missing words! They’re close at hand,

     You almost have them now;

We know, because that lowly cloud

     Is rising from your brow.

We’re going to let you guess, because,

     You know it is the rule

In all the puzzles of this kind –

     The words are “____ ____!”

 

Mar. 29, 1913.

                           For Tues. April 13.

 

 

Swimmin' in the Crick

 

   Swimmin’ In The Crick.

 

 

The sun is high up in the sky,

     The days are growin’ long;

The trees are full uv trembly leaves,

     The birds are full uv song.

The shores are lined with hangin’ boughs,

     To cover noisy frogs;

An’ turkles they jes’ sun themselves

     Upon the fallen logs.

 

Ol’ “Lizzard Crick” is free once more,

     An’ glistens in the sun;

The time o’ year is comin’ when

     The Gungy boys hev fun.

It’s divin’ off the mossy banks

     An’ swimmin’ in the pool;

An’ playin’ “hookey” now an’ then

     Frum Gungy’s village school.

 

Bathtubs an’ houses are all right

     Fur city folks, I ween;

An’ bathin’ in the surf is fun,

     In waters white an’ green.

But let me dive in “Lizzard Crick”,

     An’ git a taste o’ that;

Ef that don’t beat the salty sea,

     I’ll eat my ol’ straw hat!

 

May 7, 1913

                  May 9, ’13 (cut off) …ming

 

 

Looking Ahead

 

 Looking Ahead.

 

 

It takes all kinds of folks to make

     This world, they say, ah me!

If that is so I’d like to know

     What will the next one be?

 

(undated)

Abe Peters

 

   Abe Peters

 

 

Abe Peters lived in Gungywamp,

     An’ lived there all alone;

He had a voice sharp as an axe,

     A heart cold as a stone.

Abe Peters never threw a smile,

     Nur spoke a kindly word;

In town affairs or gospel meets

     His voice wuz never heard.

 

An’ all the children round about

     Wuz ’fraid ez they could be;

They crossed the street to let him pass,

     Or dodged behind a tree.

He trudged the windin’ village street,

     Or sat in silence grim;

He never called on anyone,

     Or let them call on him.

 

An’ so Abe Peters lived an’ died

     A hermit, sad an’ sore;

An’ not a tear wuz shed when he

     Went feet first out the door.

A kindly word, a smile or two

     Lights all the darkened way;

An’ people will remember us

     Furever an’ a day.

 

Don’t be Abe Peters o’er again,

     ’Twill shorten up your days;

We all kin spread sunshine around

     In many, many ways.

The path is always dark enough,

     The skies will oft be gray;

Good cheer is just a lantern which

     Will help to light the way.

 

May 2, 1913

(“May 5, 1913” cut off, along with what happened on that date.)

 

Penny Diplomacy

 

     Penny Diplomacy.

 

 

“A penny for your thoughts,” she said.

“My thoughts are worth thousands,” he replied.

“Huh!” she sniffed, “I can’t imagine the reason.”

“Because you are the reason,” he murmured.

And then, of course, what could she say?

 

(undated)

 

 

Put Up a Kick

 

     Put Up A Kick.

 

 

If someone’s doing you a wrong,

     Put up a kick;

If someone’s coming at you strong

     Put up a kick.

Don’t be the victim of the shark, –

If someone wants you in the dark,

Don’t keep your toes upon the mark,

     Put up a kick.

 

If you have bought some goods not good

     Put up a kick;

’Tis best for everyone you should

     Put up a kick.

Put up a kick and put it high,

And lift your victim to the sky;

He’ll come down better, by and by –

     Put up a kick.

 

If you possess a daughter fair

     Put up a kick

If chaps are round her thick as hair,

     Put up a kick.

If there’s a Johnnie there to call

And you don’t want him there at all,

And he’s just going out the hall –

     Put up a kick!

 

May 7, 1913

 

 

Familiar Sounds

    Familiar Sounds.

 

 

I’ve traveled north and traveled south

     I’ve traveled east and west

In search of story and of song,

     Of merry quip and jest.

The north is cold and practical,

     The south is warm and bright,

The west is breezy, hale and rough,

     The east is most polite.

 

You get a story down in Maine,

     You think is new and pat;

You take it out to Frisco Bay

     Well guarded ’neath your hat;

You spin it at the Golden Gate

     With all the zest you know;

Some one will say: “my father told

     That fifty years ago.”

 

Palm Beach is noted for its yarns,

     In mellow anthem tone;

You drink them with the balmy air

     And call the joke your own.

You carry it to Montreal,

     Up where the north wind chills

And some one there will blandly say:

     “That’s older than the hills.”

 

And so it goes, from North to South,

     And so from east to west;

It is a risk to perpetrate

     The merry quip and jest.

One finds the story and the song

     No matter where he goes;

It is the same old skeleton,

     Attired in different clothes!

 

May 1, 1913

 

  

Land for Sale

 

     Land For Sale.

 

 

“Why durn my skin,” said Eben Potts,

     One night in Stokes’s store

“This case in California State

     It ruther makes me sore.

They say they do not want to sell

     Land to the Japanese.

Wall, I suppose thet they kin do

     Eggsactly ez they please,

 

“But they ain’t like us folks round here

     In good ol’ Gungy town;

We wanter build the ol’ town up

     Insted uv run it down.

I ain’t well read ez Bryan is,

     Nur Johnson, I ’callate;

But I know somethin’ ez to how

     To sail the Ship uv State.

 

I know we’ve got a lot of land,

     Out west ez well ez here,

Thet ain’t a-bringin’ no returns,

     Nur never will I fear,

Unless some people buys it up

     An’ works it ez they should;

Land settin’ mud a-dryin’ up

     Ain’t doin’ no one good.

 

So ef them Jappers wanter buy

     Some farmin’ land o’ me

All they hev got to do is show

     The money, yes sir-ee.

I’ll sell ’em all the land they want

     An’ sell it to ’em low;

I think them Californy folks

     Are purty dog-gone slow.”

 

May 5, 1918.

                           Sent May 6, 1913

 

(Guessing it was written on May 5, 1913?)

 

 

Just Girls

 

    Just Girls.

 

 

The N.Y. girls are passing fair,

     And more than up to date;

They’re very chic and debonair,

     As Gotham poets prate.

I’ve known sweet “Philly” maidens too,

     So modest and demure;

But that they please us through and through

     We’re not quite passing sure.

 

Chicago girls quite famous are

     In fame and beauty too;

They’re wittier than some by far,

     Yet they will hardly do.

St. Louis maids are worth your while

     In all the breezy west

Her red-lipped girl with cheery smile

     She reckons far the best.

 

And so on from the Golden Gate,

     To Key West, back to Maine,

Each city thinks her daughters great,

     The reason which is plain.

But one we know leads all the rest,

     From Maine to Frisco’s strand;

The Boston girl is far the best

     And fairest in the land.

 

March 14, ‘09