The Tree-Toad
''Scurious-like,' said the tree-toad,
'I've twittered far rain all day;
And I got up soon,
And I hollered till noon--
But the sun, hit blazed away,
Till I jest clumb down in a crawfish-hole,
Weary at heart, and sick at soul!
'Dozed away far an hour,
And I tackled the thing agin;
And I sung, and sung,
Till I knowed my lung
Was jest about give in;
And then, thinks I, ef hit don't rain now.
There're nothin' in singin', anyhow!
'Once in awhile some
Would come a drivin' past;
And he'd hear my cry,
And stop and sigh--
Till I jest laid back, at last,
And I hollered rain till I thought my th'oat
Would bust right open at ever' note!
'But _I fetched_ her! O _I fetched_ her!--
'Cause a little while ago,
As I kindo' set,
With one eye shet,
And a-singin' soft and low,
A voice drapped down on my fevered brain,
Sayin',--' Ef you'll jest hush I'll rain!''
poem by James Whitcomb Riley
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Wet Weather Talk
It ain't no use to grumble and complain;
It's jest as cheap and easy to rejoice:
When God sorts out the weather and sends rain,
W'y, rain's my choice.
Men giner'ly, to all intents--
Although they're ap' to grumble some--
Puts most their trust in Providence,
And takes things as they come;--
That is, the commonality
Of men that's lived as long as me,
Has watched the world enough to learn
They're not the boss of the concern.
With _some_, of course, it's different--
I've seed _young_ men that knowed it all,
And didn't like the way things went
On this terrestial ball!
But, all the same, the rain some way
Rained jest as hard on picnic-day;
Er when they railly wanted it,
It maybe wouldn't rain a bit!
In this existence, dry and wet
Will overtake the best of men--
Some little skift o' clouds'll shet
The sun off now and then;
But maybe, while you're wondern' who
You've fool-like lent your umbrell' to,
And _want_ it--out'll pop the sun,
And you'll be glad you ain't got none!
It aggervates the farmers, too--
They's too much wet, er too much sun,
Er work, er waiting round to do
Before the plowin''s done;
And maybe, like as not, the wheat,
Jest as it's lookin' hard to beat,
Will ketch the storm--and jest about
The time the corn 's a-jintin' out!
These here cy-clones a-foolin' round--
And back'ard crops--and wind and rain,
And yit the corn that's wallered down
May elbow up again!
They ain't no sense, as I kin see,
In mortals, sich as you and me,
A-faultin' Nature's wise intents,
And lockin' horns with Providence!
It ain't no use to grumble and complain;
It's jest as cheap and easy to rejoice:
When God sorts out the weather and sends rain,
W'y, rain's my choice.
poem by James Whitcomb Riley
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Tugg Martin
I.
Tugg Martin's tough.--No doubt o' that!
And down there at
The town he come from word's bin sent
Advisin' this-here Settle-ment
To kindo' _humor_ Tugg, and not
To git him hot--
Jest pass his imperfections by,
And he's as good as pie!
II.
They claim he's _wanted_ back there.--Yit
The officers they mostly quit
_Insistin'_ when
They notice Tugg's so _back'ard_, and
Sorto' gives 'em to understand
He druther not!--A Deputy
(The slickest one you ever see!)
Tackled him _last_--'disguisin' then,'
As Tugg says, 'as a gentlemen!'--
You 'd ort o' hear _Tugg_ tell it!--_My_!
I thought I'd _die_!
III.
The way it wuz;--Tugg and the rest
The boys wuz jest
A-kindo' gittin' thawed out, down
At 'Guss's Place,' fur-end o' town,
One night, when, first we knowed,
Some feller rode
Up in a buggy at the door,
And hollered fer some one to come
And fetch him some
Red-licker out--And whirped and swore
That colt he drove wuz '_Thompson's_' shore!
IV.
Guss went out, and come in agin
And filled a pint and tuck it out--
Stayed quite a spell--then peeked back in,
Half-hid-like where the light wuz dim,
And jieuked his head
At Tugg and said,--
'Come out a minute--here's a gent
Wants you to take a drink with him.'
V.
Well--Tugg laid down his cards and went--
In fact, _we all_
Got up, you know,
_Startin'_ to go--
When in reels Guss aginst the wall,
As white as snow,
Gaspin',--'_He's tuck Tugg!--wher's my gun_?'
And-sir, outside we heerd
The hoss snort and kick up his heels
Like he wuz skeerd,
And then the buggy-wheels
Scrape--and then Tugg's voice hollerun',--
'I'm bested!--Good-bye, fellers!' . . . 'Peared
S' all-fired suddent,
Nobody couldn't
Jest git it fixed,--tel hoss and man,
Buggy and Tugg, off through the dark
Went like the devil beatin' tan-
Bark!
VI.
What _could_ we do? . . . We filed back to
The bar: And Guss jest _looked_ at us,
And we looked back 'The same as you,'
Still sayin' nothin'--And the sap
It stood in every eye,
And every hat and cap
Went off, as we teched glasses solemnly,
And Guss says-he:
'Ef it's 'good-bye' with Tugg, fer _shore_,--I say
God bless him!--Er ef they
Aint railly no _need_ to pray,
I'm not reniggin!--board's the play,
And here's God bless him, anyway!'
VII.
It must a-bin an hour er so
We all set there,
Talkin o' pore
Old Tugg, you know,
'At never, wuz ketched up before--
When--all slow-like--the door-
Knob turned--and Tugg come shamblin' in,
Hand-cuffed'--'at's what he wuz, I swear!--
Yit smilin,' like he hadn't bin
Away at all! And when we ast him where
The _Deputy_ wuz at,--'I don't know where,' Tugg said,--
'All _I_ know is--he's dead.'
poem by James Whitcomb Riley
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Marthy Ellen
They's nothin' in the name to strike
A feller more'n common like!
'Taint liable to git no praise
Ner nothin' like it nowadays;
An' yit that name o' her'n is jest
As purty as the purtiest--
And more 'n that, I'm here to say
I'll live a-thinkin' thataway
And die far Marthy Ellen!
It may be I was prejudust
In favor of it from the fust--
'Cause I kin ricollect jest how
We met, and hear her mother now
A-callin' of her down the road--
And, aggervatin' little toad!--
I see her now, jes' sort o' half-
Way disapp'inted, turn and laugh
And mock her--'Marthy Ellen!'
Our people never had no fuss,
And yit they never tuck to us;
We neighbered back and foreds some;
Until they see she liked to come
To our house--and me and her
Were jest together ever'whur
And all the time--and when they'd see
That I liked her and she liked me,
They'd holler 'Marthy Ellen!'
When we growed up, and they shet down
On me and her a-runnin' roun'
Together, and her father said
He'd never leave her nary red,
So he'p him, ef she married me,
And so on--and her mother she
Jest agged the gyrl, and said she 'lowed
She'd ruther see her in her shroud,
I _writ_ to Marthy Ellen--
That is, I kindo' tuck my pen
In hand, and stated whur and when
The undersigned would be that night,
With two good hosses saddled right
Far lively travelin' in case
Her folks 'ud like to jine the race.
She sent the same note back, and writ
'The rose is red!' right under it--
'Your 'n allus, Marthy Ellen.'
That's all, I reckon--Nothin' more
To tell but what you've heerd afore--
The same old story, sweeter though
Far all the trouble, don't you know.
Old-fashioned name! and yit it's jest
As purty as the purtiest;
And more 'n that, I'm here to say
I'll live a-thinking thataway,
And die far Marthy Ellen!
poem by James Whitcomb Riley
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Till The Land
till the land, till the land,
plant the seeds, pray for rain.
feed your cows and your pigs,
always stop to give thanks.
close to the earth, the seasons,
to your family, to your heart....
to your neighbors, to your friends, .
do your best, do your part.
till the land, till the land,
plant the seeds, pray for rain.
feed your cows and your chickens,
always stop to give thanks.
from generation to generation,
the traditions handed down.
take care of the land you work,
keep the wheel going 'round.
till the land, till the land,
plant the seeds, pray for rain.
feed your cows and your horses,
always stop to give thanks.
now the times have changed,
you're not needed anymore.
the bank's come to take away
all the things you've stood for.
till the land, till the land,
plant the seeds, pray for rain.
feed your cattle and your family,
always stop to give thanks.
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Vagabond
Dunno a heap about the what an' why,
Can't say's I ever knowed.
Heaven to me's a fair blue stretch of sky,
Earth's jest a dusty road.
Dunno the names o' things, nor what they are,
Can't say's I ever will.
Dunno about God - he's jest the noddin' star
Atop the windy hill.
Dunno about Life - it's jest a tramp alone,
From wakin'-time to doss.
Dunno about Death - it's jest a quiet stone
All over-grey wi' moss.
An' why I live, an' why the old world spins,
Are things I never knowed.
My mark's the gypsy fires, the lonely inns,
An' jest the dusty road.
poem by John Masefield (1902)
Submitted by anonym
Vote! | Copy!
The Ol' Tunes
YOU kin talk about yer anthems
An' yer arias an' sich,
An' yer modern choir-singin'
That you think so awful rich;
But you orter heerd us youngsters
In the times now far away,
A-singin' o' the ol' tunes
In the ol'-fashioned way.
There was some of us sung treble
An' a few of us growled bass,
An' the tide o' song flowed smoothly
With its 'comp'niment o' grace;
There was spirit in that music,
An' a kind o' solemn sway,
A-singin' o' the ol' tunes
In the ol'-fashioned way.
I remember oft o' standin'
In my homespun pantaloons—
On my face the bronze an' freckles
O' the suns o' youthful Junes—
Thinkin' that no mortal minstrel
Ever chanted sich a lay
As the ol' tunes we was singin'
In the ol'-fashioned way.
The boys 'ud always lead ,as,
An' the girls 'ud all chime in,
Till the sweetness o' the singin'
Robbed the list'nin' soul o' sin;
An' I used to tell the parson
'Twas as good to sing as pray,
When the people sung the ol' tunes
In the ol'-fashioned way.
How I long ag'in to hear 'em
Pourin' forth from soul to soul,
With the treble high an' meller,
An' the bass's mighty roll;
But the times is very diff'rent,
An' the music heerd to-day
Ain't the singin' o' the ol' tunes
In the ol'-fashioned way.
Little screechin' by a woman,
Little squawkin' by a man,
Then the organ's twiddle-twaddle,
Jest the empty space to span, —
An' ef you should even think it,
'T isn't proper fur to say
That you want to hear the ol' tunes
In the ol'-fashioned way.
But I think that some bright mornin',
When the toils of life air o'er,
An' the sun o' heaven arisin'
Glads with light the happy shore,
I shall hear the angel chorus,
In the realms of endless day,
A-singin' o' the ol' tunes
In the ol'-fashioned way.
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
This is my rain
Do you want to hold all sadness in the world to ease your own pain?
You think you are responsible to all fault
You always too hard to yourself
Till you don’t know what’s wrong
No, you don’t realize
This time you should release my hand and let me try
This is the way I show you my feeling
This is my rain
This is my eternal lament
It hurts to see you that way
It hurts when you ask that way
This is my rain
And you can’t stop it rains
It hurts when you try to smile
It hurts when you learn to lie
You think you are responsible for all the unhappiness
You always too hard to yourself
Till you feel you always wrong
No, maybe you have realized
But you deny your own hope and still don’t let me
This is the way my soul’s longing
This is my rain
This is my crying torment
It hurts to see you that way
It hurts when you still ask that way
This is my rain
And let me soaked in the rain
It hurts when you plea to be blamed
It hurts when you burden the flame
This is my rain
This is my fighting dance
Even you try to cage my heart
It won’t stop but flood
This is my rain
And it pours when rain
It hurts when it hits my skin
It hurts but storm will wash all clean
This is my rain
poem by Maria Sudibyo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Play not with a man till you hurt him, nor jest till you shame him.
Rain comes again
Rain comes again
My coat is wet
With winks willing
To be a mystery
On the other day
Of rain shakes
The glass and I’m
Caught between
The mirror till
Now is now
Let it rain
Rain rain
Come back again
Till I put my
Wet booths on
And rain all
Over you rain
Rain comes end wise
Stay come and stay
Rain rain
The sky is gone
Cleaning rain
Insane with game
In town silence
Your name as
If you own me
Owing only to pace
Of our love
I drag you
Into tomorrow
Into rain rain
Silence your name
Across my chest
We missed the
Wood where
The dust hangs
High and far
Into the rain
Your feet
The darkness
Simplified the soul
That kills the rain
Rain and I
Have not been
A man who man me
Shall I tell
The rain the
Name of the game
My right to be
Is haunting bound
And this steel
Bound steel is
Bending under
The rain and
The wishes is blown
Again this year
And I will
Return to me
My homeland
No grave holds me
No grave can
Hold my body
Down this body
Is still my home of bones
And with it
I am strong
To return to
Me my homeland
A grace of home my
Body down.
poem by David E. Patton
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Rower's Chant
ROW till the land dip 'neath
The sea from view.
Row till a land peep up,
A home for you.
Row till the mast sing songs
Welcome and sweet,
Row till the waves, outstripped,
Give up, dead beat.
Row till the sea-nymphs rise
To ask you why
Rowing you tarry not
To hear them sigh.
Row till the stars grow bright
Like certain eyes.
Row till the noon be high
As hopes you prize.
Row till you harbour in
All longing's port.
Row till you find all things
For which you sought.
poem by Thomas Sturge Moore
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Rowers Chant
Row till the land dip 'neath
The sea from view.
Row till a land peep up,
A home for you.
Row till the mast sing songs
Welcome and sweet.
Row till the waves, out-stripped,
Give up dead beat.
Row till the sea-nymphs rise
To ask you why
Rowing you tarry not
To hear them sigh.
Row till the stars grow bright
Like certain eyes.
Row till the noon be high
As hopes you prize.
Row till you harbour in
All longing's port.
Row till you find all things
For which you sought.
poem by Thomas Sturge Moore
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
River Street Urchins
River street urchins,
The gutters are swelling.
[Waiting…] for the sky—you and I
To reach—the storm drains of joy.
Before we go…
Before we let, go.
We too will rain…
River street urchins,
Before we go…
Before we let, go.
We too will rain…
River street urchins…
Paupers oh so giving, don't you know.
We'll queue in the streets
And pray to be free!
Till we go…
Before we let, go.
We too will rain…
On every official bank holiday parade:
Till we're free, till were free
Till were free, till were free
Till were free, to go…
We'll never clear-out:
Absorbing as every stain might be.
I'll fabricate a new colour?
A rainbows pot of gold…
One for just you and me!
poem by Mark Heathcote
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Let Me Stand In The Rain
Let me walk down that cold blurry road;
feel the cold rain down my hair
the wind blowing twisting and turning
to avoid the cold rain
let me feel the cold rush through my body
let me avoid the hate; make them all drown
let the rain wash them away
let me stand in the rain
I'll stand up on top of the black pavement and hear the pounding of the rain
I'll cry and let the tears fall down with the rush of the rain
theres no need to hide in the dark
no need for an umbrella
theres no need for someone to say 'I hate you'
I'll just stay hidden in the rain like a dumb girl
I'll stand there till Romeo comes and save me
but I, the foolish one can only imagine the rubbish things a fantasy book would want
let me stand in the rain and protest my love to Romeo
it's not an obsession its a misunderstandment
like me foolishly standing in the rain, waiting for nothing
but drops of lies
not one or one night I will forget Romeo
He should be thoughtful I put some care and thought for him
but there I go imagining
Let me stand in the rain and pour my emotions
where no one can see, where no one can give sympathy but the truth
let me stand in the rain till I fall ill
wake me up when the sunshine has come and drops of light showing me honesty
and Romeo standing there waiting for me
let me stand in the rain so my imagination can go over the top of head
let me stand there till the numbness of my heart breaks away
Let me stand in the rain.............
poem by Alecia Nak
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
(Blue Collar Poem) A Working Man
A working man does all he can
Just trying to make a living
To provide and survive
Till the next day comes by
Or he dies
Which ever comes first
For better or worst
rain or shine
Pay the bills
Feed and cloth the kids
Get in a fight with the wife
And hope she forgives
A working man does all he can
Just trying to make a living
To provide and survive
Till the next day comes by
Or he dies
Which ever comes first
For better or worse
Rain or shine
Go to the park
A day off
You feel so lost
How much will this cost
A working man does the best he can
Just trying to make a living
To provide and survive
Till the next day comes by
Or he dies
Which ever comes first
For better or worse
Rain or shine
Driving so fast
Your late
Hoping you don't get fired
Down to the wire
A working man does all he can
Just trying to make a living
To provide and survive
Till the next day comes by
Or he dies
Which ever comes first
For better or worse
Rain or shine
Another fight
Give her some roses
Say your sorry, and mean it.
Next thing you know
Your both removing all your cloths
A working man does all he can
Just trying to make a living
To provide and survive
Till the next day comes by
Or he dies
Which ever comes first
For better or worse
Rain or shine
Its still mine till the day I die
poem by Ace Of Black Hearts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Rain,rain
Why am I here if youre there
So far away its not fair
To be without you like this
I miss you more than you know
The nights are long
The days slow
Without the warmth of your kiss
Wish you were back here with me
Cause out my window
All is see is
Rain , rain in the sky
Everywhere I look my eyes see
Rain , rain fallin down
Crying as it hits the ground
Rain , rain in my heart
Every day that were apart
Rain , rain
Falling rain , rain
Rain , rain
Only rain , rain
The sun is strong when youre near
But when youre gone it disappears
Behind an ocean of blue
The telephones not good enough
It cant reach out it cant touch
Me like the way you do
Wish you would knock at my door
Cause only you can stop the pouring
Rain , rain in the sky
Everywhere I look my eyes see
Rain , rain fallin down
Crying as it hits the ground
Rain , rain in my heart
Every day that were apart
Rain , rain
Falling rain , rain
Rain , rain
Only rain , rain
Maybe ill go outside
And walk beneath the clouds
Pretend its you thats watching over me
This isnt the only thing that comes
Between us now
Baby soon well be together
Oooo
( everywhere I look I see rain )
( everywhere I look I see rain )
Rain
( everywhere I look I see rain )
Everywhere I look I see rain
( everywhere I look I see rain )
Rain
( everywhere I look I see rain )
Rain
( rain , rain in the sky )
( everywhere I look my eyes see rain )
Rain
( rain falling down )
Down
( crying as it hits the ground )
Dont , dont let it hit the ground
( rain , rain in my heart everyday that were apart )
( rain , rain )
Rain
( falling rain, rain )
Rain
( rain, rain )
Everywhere I look I see rain
Everywhere I look I see rain
But I dont see you
Youre not near me
I need you ooo
Rain
Itll never be the same
If you dont stop the rain
song performed by by Cher
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Till The Last Song Is Sung
TILL THE LAST SONG IS SUNG
You’re welcome to stay
Please don’t go away
We’re open till
The last song is sung
There’s dancing on the floor
We won’t close the door
You can leave tips at the bar
The walk isn’t far
After the last song
Is sung
We’re just up the street
A place where you can plant your feet
Where the drinks are so good
You can’t remember where you stood
You can leave if you like
Be careful on the pike
Remember you came here for fun
Till the last song is sung
4/20/08
poem by Paul Klobusicky
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
L.u.v.
Guilty 'till proven innocent.
I'm thinking about the government
Wondering where the money went.
Into outer space, I guess.
Lying cs's everywhere.
Pretty boys in their underwear.
Statue of Liberty.
Who really cares
About freedom.
Singin' about l-u-v baby, luv
Singin' about l-u-v baby, luv
Throw up, throw down.
Get yourself a better town.
All these towns look the same
Self pity, number one recreation.
We're dying in the USA.
Preacher man, he keeps
Preachin'
While he covets your wife.
I ain't sayin' what's good
I ain't sayin' what's right.
Singin' about l-u-v baby, luv
Singin' about l-u-v baby, luv
Wait a minute, let me check my tan.
Am I the same color as Superman?
Helter skelter in a foreign land.
Monkeys versus dogs,
Lying under a big palm tree
With cream and bananas all over me.
That's the way it's supposed to be
Here in the Garden of Eden.
Singin' about l-u-v baby, luv
Singin' about l-u-v baby, luv
Singin' about l-u-v baby, luv
Singin' about l-u-v baby, luv
song performed by by John Mellencamp
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Eastern Rain
Rain comes from the east one night
We watch it come
To hang like beaded curtains
Till the morning sun
Water dripping from our clothes
You with raindrops on your nose
Ask me sadly please dont go away now.
Till the rain is done, I say
Ill stay now.
Rain outside but inside we dont mind at all
Shadows by the fire slowly climb and fall
Kisses fade and leave no trace
Whispers vanish into space
The dawn will send me on a chase to nowhere
Why cry as if I were the first to go there
And I know I shouldnt be here
Yes, I know I should go home
But that eastern rain drones in my brain
And Im so all alone, so all alone
Morning comes up from the east
We watch it come
And far away now rolls the ancient rain gods drum
You with daybreak in your eyes
Afraid to speak for telling lies
I watch you search for some reply to lend me
But when the rain is done
Theres no pretending
And I know I shouldnt be here
Yes, I know I should go home
But that eastern rain drones in my brain
And Im so all alone, so all alone
song performed by by Joni Mitchell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Till The Sun Comes Up Again
Written by gerry beckley, 1972
Found on homecoming.
Think Ill write a different song
Got a feeling it might take a long time
Singin it over again, I cant recall just how it used to be
Voices across the sea
Mm, mm, mm.
Will she come to me, to keep me company
Wont know till the sun comes up again
Gotta take the good with the bad
Sometimes I wish I never had my say
Always goes that way, or is it just the way I feel today?
Voices across the way
Mm, mm, mm.
Will she come to me, to keep me company
Wont know till the sun comes up again
Wont know till the sun comes up again
Wont know till the sun comes up again
Wont know till the sun comes up again
Wont know till the sun comes up again
Wont know till the sun comes up again
song performed by by America
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
An Easy Goin' Feller
Ther' ain't no use in all this strife,
An' hurryin', pell-mell, right thro' life.
I don't believe in goin' too fast
To see what kind o' road you've passed.
It ain't no mortal kind o' good,
'N' I would n't hurry ef I could.
I like to jest go joggin' 'long,
To limber up my soul with song;
To stop awhile 'n' chat the men,
'N' drink some cider now an' then.
Do' want no boss a-standin' by
To see me work; I allus try
To do my dooty right straight up,
An' earn what fills my plate an' cup.
An' ez fur boss, I'll be my own,
I like to jest be let alone,
To plough my strip an' tend my bees,
An' do jest like I doggoned please.
My head's all right, an' my heart's meller,
But I'm a easy-goin' feller.
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!