" DA LEETLA BOY "

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,
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 to theenk of eet:
An all he evra ask ees w'en
Is gona com' da spreeng agen.

Wan day, wan brighta sunny day,
He see across da alleyway,
Da leetla girl dat's liven' dere
Ees raise her window for da air,
And put outside a leetla pot
of w'at you call?-forget-me-not.

So smalla flower, so leetla theeng!
But steel eet mak' hees hearta seeng.
"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.

But, ah, da night com' down an den,
Da winter ees sneak back agen,
An in da alley, all da night
Eees fall da snow, so cold, so white.

An' cover up da leetla pot
Of w'at you call ? for-get-me-not.
All night da leetla hand I hold.

Eees grow so cold, so cold, so cold !
Da spreeng ees come, but oh, da joy,
Eet ees too late!
He was so cold, my leetla boy,
He no could wait.


by THOMAS AUGUSTINE DALY