Relationships

Good-By er Howdy-Do

by James Whitcomb Riley 1849–1916

From Riley Songs of Friendship (1915)

Relationships

Say good-by er howdy-do--
What's the odds betwixt the two?
Comin'--goin', ev'ry day--
Best friends first to go away--
Grasp of hands you'd ruther hold
Than their weight in solid gold
Slips their grip while greetin' you.--
Say good-by er howdy-do!

Howdy-do, and then, good-by--
Mixes jes' like laugh and cry;
Deaths and births, and worst and best,
Tangled their contrariest;
Ev'ry jinglin' weddin'-bell
Skeerin' up some funer'l knell.--
Here's my song, and there's your sigh.--
Howdy-do, and then, good-by!

Say good-by er howdy-do--
Jes' the same to me and you;
'Taint worth while to make no fuss,
'Cause the job's put up on us!
Some One's runnin' this concern
That's got nothin' else to learn:
Ef He's willin', we'll pull through--
Say good-by er howdy-do!

MLA

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Good-By er Howdy-Do.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/274/.

Chicago

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Good-By er Howdy-Do.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/274/.

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