Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DIDN'T WE JIM?, by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DIDN'T WE JIM?, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Yes, sir; we lived home till our mother died
Last Line: Didn't she, jim?
Alternate Author Name(s): King, Ben
Subject(s): Bible; Death - Mothers; Dead, The


YES, sir; we lived home till our mother died,
An' I'd go a-walkin' with Jim, cause he cried,
Till night time 'ud come, 'nd we'd go up to bed
An' bofe say the prayers 'at she taught us ter said --
Didn't we, Jim?

An' pa 'ud stay late, an' we uster call,
'Cause we thought we heard 'im downstairs in the hall:
An' when he come home once he fell on the floor,
An' we run'd an' hid behind ma's bedroom door --
Didn't we, Jim?

She told us, our ma did, when she's sick in bed,
An' out of the Bible some verses read,
To never touch wine, and some more I can't think;
But the last words she said was never to drink --
Didn't she, Jim?

But our other ma, what our pa brought home there,
She whipped little Jim 'cause he stood on a chair
An' kissed our ma's picture that hung on the wall,
An' struck me fer not doin' nothin' at all --
Didn't she, Jim?

She said 'at we never had no bringin' up,
An' stayed 'round the house an' eat everything up,
An' said 'at we couldn't have no more to eat,
An' all 'at we 's fit for was out in the street --
Didn't she, Jim?

We said 'at we hated her, didn't we, Jim?
But our pa -- well, we didn't say nothin' ter him,
But just took ma's picture and bofe run'd away;
An' that's what Jim's cryin' 'bout out here to-day --
Didn't we, ain't it, Jim?

Mister, don't feel bad -- 'cause Jim's cryin' -- too;
Fer we're goin' ter hunt an' git somethin' ter do;
'Cause our ma 'at died said ter work an' ter pray,
An' we'd all be together in glory some day --
Didn't she, Jim?





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