Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A NEWSBOY'S PLAINT, by BURGES JOHNSON


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A NEWSBOY'S PLAINT, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Some fren's o' mine is tryin' hard ter put me on de / queer
Last Line: A—a—ll a—bout de moider—buy a papeh, suh?
Subject(s): Children; Newspapers; Childhood; Journalism; Journalists


Some fren's o' mine is tryin' hard ter put me on de queer—
De doctor wat dey sent's a nervey bloke;
Says 'e, "Yer need de country—I ferbid yer stayin' 'ere!"
I tell yer straight, I t'ought it was a joke.
Dere ain't no finer paper-route from Bronx ter Chat'am Square—
'Taint like I was a cully shinin' shoes!
Who's he wid his 'forbiddin'? Now gwan an' quit yer kiddin'—
Aw, cheese it! 'Ere's a cove dat wants de news! Pa—a—peh!
Woil' an' de Joinal! Times an' de Sun!
Press or de Heral'! Hi—Wich one?
Mo—o—nin' pa—a—peh! Loidy, 'ere y' uh,
A—a—ll a—bout de moider—Buy a papeh, Suh?
Dere's trees an' grass a-growin' in mos' all de city parks,
De same as in de country, so dey say;
Y' hear about de crowin' of de roosters an' de larks—
I'd jus' as liv get woke some udder way!

Me fren' wot runs de book-store, he lets me monkey round,
An' I see dem country t'ings in picter-books—
An' I've frequent seen a chicken dat de butcher-boy was pickin',
An' dere's often cows a-hangin' up on hooks.
Pa—a—peh!
Woil' an' de Joinal! Times an' de Sun!
Press or de Heral'! Hi—Wich one?
Mo—o—nin' pa—a—peh! Loidy, 'ere y' uh,
A—a—ll a—bout de moider—Buv a papeh. Suh?

I need de country air, e says? Aw rats, dat ain't a mark
Ter wat I'd need up dere widout de boys!
Dey say dere ain't no 'lectric lights—at night de place is dark—
Dere ain't no cops—An' say! Dere ain't no noise!
Says 'e, "I wouldn't give so much fer wat yer life is wort'!"
Fergit it! I ain't askin' 'im ter give.
Who wants ter stay a-stewin' in a place where nottin's doin'?—
I want ter do some livin' wile I live.
Pa—a—peh!
Woil' an' de Joinal! Times an' de Sun!
Press or de Heral'—Hi—Wich one?
Mo—o—nin' pa—a—peh! Loidy, 'ere y' uh,
A—a—ll a—bout de moider—Buy a papeh, Suh?





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net