LONESOME

Mother‘ s gone a-visitin’ to spend a month er two,

An’, oh, the house is lonesome ez a nest whose birds has flew

To other trees to build ag'in; the rooms seem jest so bare

That the echoes run like sperrits from the kitchen to the stair.

The shetters flap more lazy-like‘ n what they used to do,

Sence mother‘ s gone a-visitin’ to spend a month er two.

We‘ ve killed the fattest chicken an’ we've cooked her to a turn;

We‘ ve made the richest gravy, but I jest do n't give a durn

Fur nothin’‘ at I drink er eat, er nothin’‘ at I see.

The food ai n't got the pleasant taste it used to have to me.

They‘ s somep'n’ stickin’ in my throat ez tight ez hardened glue,

Sence mother's gone a-visitin’ to spend a month er two.

The hollyhocks air jest ez pink, they‘ re double ones at that,

An’ I wuz prouder of‘ em than a baby of a cat.

But now I do n't go near‘ em, though they nod an’ blush at me,

Fur they‘ s somep'n’ seems to gall me in their keerless sort o’ glee

An’ all their fren'ly noddin’ an’ their blushin’ seems to say:

“You‘ re purty lonesome, John, old boy, sence mother‘ s gone away.”

The neighbors ai n't so fren'ly ez it seems they‘ d ort to be;

They seem to be a-lookin’ kinder sideways like at me,

A-kinder feared they‘ d tech me off ez ef I wuz a match,

An’ all because‘ at mother‘ s gone an’ I‘ m a-keepin’ batch!

I‘ m shore I do n't do nothin’ worse‘ n what I used to do

‘ Fore mother went a-visitin’ to spend a month er two.

The sparrers ac's more fearsome like an’ wo n't hop quite so near,

The cricket's chirp is sadder, an’ the sky ai n't ha'f so clear;

When ev'nin’ comes, I set an’ smoke tell my eyes begin to swim,

An’ things aroun’ commence to look all blurred an’ faint an’ dim.

Well, I guess I‘ ll have to own up‘ at I‘ m feelin’ purty blue

Sence mother's gone a-visitin’ to spend a month er two.