Classic and Contemporary Poetry
UNCLE JOHN FIDDLER, by PERCY MACKAYE Poet's Biography First Line: As I walked down on greasy, greasy Last Line: To hear the lord himself afiddling. Alternate Author Name(s): Mackaye, Percy Wallace Subject(s): Farm Life; Roosters; Agriculture; Farmers; Cocks | ||||||||
As I walked down on Greasy, Greasy Bottom, when the mists were trailing, I stopped to call at Fiddler John's And met a rooster on the paling. His ribald comb was gay as dawn, His red-and-yellow craw was crowing. A baby shoat went squealing by And a brindled heifer lowing. I clicked the gate and waited where The smoky breakfast-pot was tilting. A bantam hen came cackling out Had laid her egg upon the quilting. Then out he came and wrung my hand With God a'mighty grace and blessing, And nursed his fiddle on his knee And rubbed the bow with rosin dressing, And poked the cedar next his rib And slanted down his gnarled check near it And drew the charming-stick that loosed The dancing legions of his spirit: They raced along the taut strings where His knuckly fingers touched and tapered, They froliced through his frowzled hair And down his twitching nose they capered. The Round Town Girls they ran a set Where Cripple Creek roared a freshet fountain, Old Joe Clark jigged in Cumberland Gap, The Lost Girl sang on Sourwood Mountain. A shrilly cat-bird called the leads, The jarr-fly joined the double-single, A gander honked the promenade, The very fleas hopped in the ingle: All day they hopped; and when at dusk I groped up Greasy in my trancing, I vow the lonely evening star Upon Pine Mountain top was dancing; And in a gloaming cloud I heard Old Satan roar a snatch at griddling, And saw seven Cherubs smash their harps To hear the Lord himself afiddling. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ON A COCK AT ROCHESTER by CHARLES SEDLEY THE HEATH-COCK by JOANNA BAILLIE TWO VIEWS OF IT by CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH CHICK-A-ROOSTER by HENRY CROCKER THE COCK by HORTENSE KING FLEXNER ROOSTER; TO PAT RYAN by JAMES HARRISON THE COCK AND THE FOX by JEAN DE LA FONTAINE A CHILD AT THE WICKET by PERCY MACKAYE |
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