21. Da Leetla Boy by Thomas Augustine Daly. Rittenhouse, Jessie B., ed. 1917. The Little Book of Modern Verse

Jessie B. Rittenhouse, ed. (1869–1948). The Little Book of Modern Verse. 1917.

21. Da Leetla Boy

By Thomas Augustine Daly


DA spreeng ees com’! but oh, da joy
Eet ees too late!
He was so cold, my leetla boy,
He no could wait.

I no can count how manny week,	5
How manny day, dat he ees seeck;
How manny night I seet an’ hold
Da leetla hand dat was so cold.
He was so patience, oh, so sweet!
Eet hurts my throat for theenk of eet;	10
An’ all he evra ask ees w’en
Ees gona com’ da spreeng agen.
Wan day, wan brighta sunny day,
He see, across da alleyway,
Da leetla girl dat’s livin’ dere	15
Ees raise her window for da air,
An’ put outside a leetla pot
Of—w’at-you-call?—forgat-me-not.
So smalla flower, so leetla theeng!
But steell eet mak’ hees hearta seeng:	20
“Oh, now, at las’, ees com’ da spreeng!
Da leetla plant ees glad for know
Da sun ees com’ for mak’ eet grow.
So, too, I am grow warm and strong.”
So lika dat he seeng hees song.	25
But, Ah! da night com’ down an’ den
Da weenter ees sneak back agen,
An’ een da alley all da night
Ees fall da snow, so cold, so white,
An’ cover up da leetla pot	30
Of—wa’t-you-call?—forgat-me-not.
All night da leetla hand I hold
Ees grow so cold, so cold, so cold!

Da spreeng ees com’; but oh, da joy
Eet ees too late!	35
He was so cold, my leetla boy,
He no could wait.