Living

Brudder Sims

by James Whitcomb Riley 1849–1916

From The Old Soldier's Story (1915)

Living

Dah's Brudder Sims! Dast slam yo' Bible shet
An' lef' dat man alone--kase he's de boss
Ob all de preachahs ev' I come across!
Day's no twis' in dat gospil book, I bet,
Ut Brudder Sims cain't splanify, an' set
You' min' at eaze! W'at's Moses an' de Laws?
W'at's fo'ty days an' nights ut Noey toss
Aroun' de Dil-ooge?--W'at dem Chillen et
De Lo'd rain down? W'at s'prise ole Joney so
In dat whale's inna'ds?--W'at dat laddah mean
Ut Jacop see?--an' wha' dat laddah go?--
Who clim dat laddah?--Wha' dat laddah lean?--
An' wha' dat laddah now? "Dast chalk yo' toe
Wid Faith," sez Brudder Sims, "an' den you know!"

MLA

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Brudder Sims.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/450/.

Chicago

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Brudder Sims.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/450/.

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