The Way It Wuz.

Las' July - an', I persume
    'Bout as hot
As the ole Gran'-Jury room
    Where they sot! -
Fight 'twixt Mike an' Dock McGriff -
'Pears to me jes' like as if
    I'd a dremp' the whole blame thing -
    Allus ha'nts me roun' the gizzard
    When they're nightmares on the wing,
        An' a feller's blood's jes' friz!
    Seed the row from a to izzard -
    'Cause I wuz a-standin' as clost to 'em
        As me an' you is!

Tell you the way it wuz -
    An' I do n't want to see,
Like some fellers does,
    When they 're goern to be
Any kind o' fuss -
On'y makes a rumpus wuss
    Far to interfere
    When their dander's riz -
But I wuz a-standin' as clost to 'em
As me an' you is!

I wuz kind o' strayin'
    Past the blame saloon -
Heerd some fiddler playin'
    That "ole hee-cup tune!"
Sort o' stopped, you know,
Far a minit er so,
    And wuz jes' about

Settin' down, when - Jeemses-whizz!
    Whole durn winder-sash fell out!
An' there laid Doc McGriff, and Mike
A-straddlin' him, all bloody-like,
    An' both a-gittin' down to biz! -
An' I wuz a-standin' as clost to 'em
    As me an' you is!

I wuz the on'y man aroun' -
(Durn old-fogy town!
    'Peared more like, to me,
    Sund'y 'an Saturd'y!)
    Dog come 'crost the road
    An' tuck a smell
        An' put right back;
    Mishler driv by 'ith a load
    O' cantalo'pes he couldn't sell -
        Too mad, 'y jack!
    To even ast
    What wuz up, as he went past!
Weather most outrageous hot! -
    Fairly hear it sizz
Roun' Dock an' Mike - till Dock he shot,
    An' Mike he slacked that grip o' his
    An' fell, all spraddled out. Dock riz
    'Bout half up, a-spittin' red,
    An' shuck his head -
An' I wuz a-standin' as clost to 'em
    As me an' you is!

An' Dock he says,
    A-whisperin'-like, -
    "It hain't no use
    A-tryin'! - Mike
    He's jes' ripped my daylights loose! -
Git that blame-don fiddler to
Let up, an' come out here - You
Got some burryin' to do, -
    Mike makes one, an' I expects
In ten seconds I'll make two!"
    And he drapped back, where he riz,
'Crost Mike's body, black and blue,
    Like a great big letter X! -
An' I wuz a-standin' as clost to 'em
    As me an' you is!

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. He was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and the "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and children's poetry respectively. Over his career, Riley authored approximately 1,000 poems, including "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man". His influence extended into the 20th century, and his works continued to be celebrated for their nostalgic and rural themes.

James Whitcomb Riley

English

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