James Whitcomb Riley Amuses Me

I suppose it is surprising And I shouldn't let you know it, I've a hankering for the poetry Of that old time Hoosier poet. Perhaps you think his poems with Their easy, rustic flavor Are not poetic offerings Sophisticates would savor. "Little Orphant Annie" Is a favorite of mine Which I have read so often that I've memorized each line. "When the frost is on the punkin And the fodder's in the shock", I can almost hear the gobble Of that strutting turkey cock. Rilely's poems were loved by plainer folks And scorned by the elite, But he was the nicest fellow that You'd ever want to meet. There is something about his dialect As it falls upon my ear That is so endearing to me That it almost makes me tear. He was Indiana Hoosier Deutsch, The same as my sweet dad. His poems are composed of fractured words That Daddy's stories had. I've read the classics and I have Their books throughout the house, But only in Riley's have I found A poem that mentions "souse". That word brings back fond memories Of many a butchering day When Daddy made souse from the pig parts Most folks would throw away. When my days are dark and dreary And I'm feeling under par I pick up the tattered book of poems By my favorite poet, JWR. Inspired by Amy Green's contest "Wow me with inspiration". won hm