Peek-A-Boo

"Peek-a-boo!" say little Olaf.
"Yu can't find me. Ay ban hid."
Den ay used to look all over
For my little blue-eyed kid.
Op in attic, down in cellar,
Back of chairs on parlor floor;
Den he used to laugh, and tal me,
"Ay ban back of kitchen door."

"Peek-a-boo!" he used to tal me.
"Shut yure eyes, and don't you peek!"
Den ay feel his arms around me
And his kisses on my cheek.
"Now ay'm hiding, dad," he tal me!
"Maybe, ef you look some more,
Yu skol find yure little Olaf -
Ay ban back of kitchen door."

"Peek-a-boo!" ay hear him calling,
Lak he called long time ago.
Var ban little Olaf hiding?
Maybe anyel fallers know.
Tousand times ay look to find him
Hiding back of kitchen door,
But ay only see some shadows:
Ay can't find him any more.

William F. Kirk

William F. Kirk was an American poet and writer, known for his humorous and satirical works. His poetry often reflected the everyday lives and struggles of ordinary people, presented in a light-hearted yet insightful manner. Kirk also wrote prose, contributing to various newspapers and magazines. His works were widely appreciated for their wit and relatability, making him a popular figure in early 20th-century American literature.

William F. Kirk

Yennie Dear

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Barbara Frietchie

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William F. Kirk, Simple Poetry

Robinson Crusoe

William F. Kirk, Simple Poetry

English

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Olaf

Yust two years ago last venter
Ay meet Olaf op in camp;
Ve ban lumberyacks togedder.
Every morning we skol tramp
'Bout sax miles yust after breakfast
Till we come to big pine-trees;
Den our straw boss he skol make us
Vork lak little busy bees.

Olaf, he ban yolly faller,
He skol taling yoke all day;
Sometimes he sing dis har ragtime,
Yust to passing time avay.
And at night, ven we ban smoking
After supper, he skol make
All us lumberyacks to laughing
Till our belts skol nearly break.

Me and Olaf bunked together,
And sometimes he taling me
'Bout his vife and little Torger,
Who ban living cross big sea.
"Ay ban saving dough," say Olaf;
"And next summer, ef ay can,
Ay skol send for vife and baby;
Den ay ban a happy man...

William F. Kirk

Father William

"Yu ban old, Fader Olaf," a young geezer
say, "yure hair it ban whiter sum snow;
Ay lak yu to tal me how yu keep so young.
By Yudas! Ay ant hardly know."

"Ven ay ban a young kid," Fader Olaf he
say, "ay never hang out in saloon;
Ay never ban smoking dese har cigarettes, or
sitting on sofa and spoon!"

"Yu ban slim, Fader Olaf," the young faller
say: "old fallers ban mostly dam fat.
Yu measure 'bout tventy-sax inches reund
vaist, vat for ban the reason of dat?"

"In the days of my youth," Fader Olaf
reply, "ay ant drenk no lager from cup;
Ay let all my frends fight dis bourbon and
rye, and alvays pass breakfast fude up!"

"Fader Olaf, yure eyes ban so bright sum a
star, yu ant vear no glasses at all;
Ay lak yu to tal me gude reaso...

William F. Kirk

Peek-A-Boo

The cunningest thing that a baby can do
Is the very first time it plays peek-a-boo;

When it hides its pink little face in its hands,
And crows, and shows that it understands

What nurse, and mamma and papa, too,
Mean when they hide and cry, "Peek a-boo, peek-a-boo."

Oh, what a wonderful thing it is,
When they find that baby can play like this!

And every one listens, and thinks it true
That baby's gurgle means "Peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo";

And over and over the changes are rung
On the marvellous infant who talks so young.

I wonder if any one ever knew
A baby that never played peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo.

'Tis old as the hills are.    I believe
Cain was taught it by Mother Eve;

For Cain was an innocent baby, too,
And I ...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Annie Laurie

Minneapolis ban qvite bonny
Ven early fall the dew;
It ban dar dat ay ask Steena
To mak her promise true, -
To mak her promise true;
But she yust pass me by;
And she tal me, "Maester Olaf,
Yu skol pleese lay down and die."

Her brow ban yust lak snowdrift
Or Apple Blossom flour;
And she smile lak anyel fallers,
Ay tenk of her each hour, -
Ay tenk of her each hour,
And feel lak ay can cry,
Ven she tal me, "Maester Olaf,
Yu skol pleese lay down and die."

Like dew on sidevalk falling,
She du me gude, ay guess.
Ay tal her, "Pleese, Miss Steena,
Vy don't yu answer yes? -
Vy don't yu answer yes?"
But she yust venk her eye,
And she tal me, "Maester Olaf,
Yu skol pleese lay down and die."

William F. Kirk

The Little House

One yestereve, in the waning light,
When the wind was still and the gloaming bright,
There came a breath from a far countrie,
And the ghost of a Little House called to me.

"Have you forgotten me?" "No!" I cried.
"Your hall was as narrow as this is wide,
Your roof was leaky, the rain came through
Till a ceiling fell, on my new frock too!

"In your parlour flooring a loose board hid,
And wore the carpet, you know it did!
Your kitchen was small, and the shelves were few,
While the fireplace smoked -- and you know it's true!"

The little ghost sighed: "Do you quite forget
My window boxes of mignonette?
And the sunny room where you used to sew
When a great hope came to you, long ago?

"Ah, me! How you used to watch the door
Where a latch-k...

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Saarchinkold!

Nose to window,
Still as a mouse,
Watching grampa
"Bank the house."
Out of the barrow he shovels the tan,
And he piles and packs it as hard as he can
"All about the house's feet,"
Says "Phunny-kind,"
Nose to the window,
Eager and sweet.
Now she comes to the entry door:
"Grampa--what are you do that for?
Are you puttin' stockin's on to the house?"
(Found her tongue, has Still-as-a-Mouse.)

Grandpa twinkles out of his eyes,
Straightens his aching back, and tries
To look as solemn as Phunny-kind.
But the child says:
"Grampa, is it the wind
That keeps you a-shakin' an' shakin' so?"
Then the old man, shaking the more, says: "No!
But I'm bankin' the house, Miss Locks-o-gold,
To keep out the dreadful--
Sa-archin' Cold...

Clara Doty Bates