Living

Elmer Brown

by James Whitcomb Riley 1849–1916

From The Book of Joyous Children (1902)

Living

Awf'lest boy in this-here town
Er anywheres is Elmer Brown!
He'll mock you--yes, an' strangers, too,
An' make a face an' yell at you,--
"Here's the way you look!"

Yes, an' wunst in School one day,
An' Teacher's lookin' wite that way,
He helt his slate, an' hide his head,
An' maked a face at her, an' said,--
"Here's the way you look!"

An' sir! when Rosie Wheeler smile
One morning at him 'crosst the aisle,
He twist his face all up, an' black
His nose wiv ink, an' whisper back,--
"Here's the way you look!"

Wunst when his Aunt's all dressed to call,
An' kiss him good-bye in the hall,
An' latch the gate an' start away,
He holler out to her an' say,--
"Here's the way you look!"

An' when his Pa he read out loud
The speech he maked, an' feel so proud
It's in the paper--Elmer's Ma
She ketched him--wite behind his Pa,--
"Here's the way you look!"

Nen when his Ma she slip an' take
Him in the other room an' shake
Him good! w'y, he don't care--no-sir!--
He ist look up an' laugh at her,--
"Here's the way you look!"

MLA

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Elmer Brown.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/312/.

Chicago

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Elmer Brown.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/312/.

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