POEMS LIFE AND SONG IF life were caught by a clarionet, And a wild heart, throbbing in the reed, Then would this breathing clarionet Has wholly lived his minstrelsy, Or clearly sung his true, true thought, The perfect one of man and wife; Or lived and sung, that Life and Song Since both were one, to stand or fall: So that the wonder struck the crowd, I II I II 21 JONES'S PRIVATE ARGYMENT THAT air same Jones, which lived in Jones, He'd swear with a hundred sighs and groans, And git along without 'em: That bankers, warehousemen, and sich And Tennessy was rotten-rich And the only thing (says Jones) to do But tear up every I, O, U, And plant all corn and swear for true Thus spouted Jones (whar folks could hear, And thus kep' spoutin' many a year, Sich fiddlesticks and blatherin's. But, one all-fired sweatin' day, It happened I was hoein' My lower corn-field, which it lay And a'ter twelve o'clock had come I felt a kinder faggin', And laid myself un'neath a plum To let my dinner settle sum, When 'long come Jones's waggin, And Jones was settin' in it, so : A-readin' of a paper. His mules was goin' powerful slow, The staple of the scraper. The mules they stopped about a rod And presently says he: "Hit's true; "More corn! more corn! must plant less ground, And mustn't eat what 's boughten! Next year they 'll do it: reasonin's sound: MACON, GA., 1870. 31 41 |