| WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock, | |
| And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock, | |
| And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens, | |
| And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence; | |
| O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best, | 5 | 
| With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest, | |
| As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock, | |
| When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock. | |
| They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere | |
| When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here— | 10 | 
| Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees, | |
| And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees; | |
| But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze | |
| Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days | |
| Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock— | 15 | 
| When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock. | |
| The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn, | |
| And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn; | |
| The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still | |
| A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill; | 20 | 
| The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed; | |
| The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!— | |
| O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock, | |
| When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock. | |
| Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps | 25 | 
| Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps; | |
| And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through | |
| With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!... | |
| I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be | |
| As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me— | 30 | 
| I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock— | |
| When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock. 
--James  Whitcomb Riley  | 
good morning
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Hello! Why didn't you tell anyone this is a poem you memorized as a young homeschooler? (How much of this do you really remember?)
ReplyDeleteHow old were you when you memorized this? I'm impressed!
DeleteI suspect it was 4th or 5th grade? And I was wondering the same thing Miss Lauren.
ReplyDeleteBecause now I only remember the first two lines and that's rather embarrassing so . . .
DeleteThis poem makes me happy.
ReplyDelete