Tiller and hoe

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



TWO FELLERS I KNOW, WITH A TILLER AND A HOE
WENT OUT TO MAKE THEIR GARDEN GROW
ONE WAS SHORT AND THE OTHER TALL
WORKED FROM EARLY SPRING 'TILL LATE FALL

PLANTED THEIR SEEDS ALL IN A ROW
THEN WENT BACK TO HELP THEM GROW
CORN GREW TALL AND BEANS GOT THICK
HOW THEIR BACKS WOULD HURT WHEN THEY PICKED

THEY FILLED THEIR BASKETS AND EVERY PAIL
THEN SAT IN THE SHADE TO TELL A TALE
IN THEIR HEARTS WAS GREAT FEAR
FOR THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT ELECTION YEAR

IT LOOKED LIKE REAGAN WOULD SURELY SUCCEED
IF HE DID THEY'D BE GLAD THEY PLANTED SEED
THEY REMEMBERED YEARS FROM LONG AGO
THRU A TERRIBLE DEPRESSION THEY DID GO

HAD NO BREAD NOR MEAT, NOT ANYTHING MUCH TO EAT
NOTHING TO DO BUT WALK THE STREETS
THE BANKS ALL CLOSED AS THEY WELL KNOW
THE SHORT ONE LOST ALL HIS DOUGH

THE TALL ONE HAD NOTHING TO LOSE
HE COULDN'T EVEN BUY A PAIR OF SHOES
REAGAN WON, THEY HAD TO CONFESS
OH! MY GOODNESS, WHAT A MESS

IF THIS COUNTRY WOULD HAPPEN TO SEE
BAD THINGS HAPPEN LIKE IN "33
THEY CAN'T HELP WHAT'S PAST AND DONE
THEY WILL STILL WORK THE GARDEN AND HAVE FUN
REPUBLICANS MAY TAKE AWAY THEIR FOOD STAMPS AND WELFARE DOUGH
BUT THEY WILL LEAVE THEM THEIR TILLER AND HOE!
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Submitted on November 13, 2018

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:09 min read
12

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB AAXX CCDD EEAA XXAA FFGG XXHHAA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,126
Words 226
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

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