One of my favorites

I've decided to try my hand at this blogging thing. Why? Because the fog is finally clearing. Hence, the title. So here's an old favorite poem for starters. And it kind of says a lot about me, too.

The Raggedy Man

O The Raggedy Man! He works for Pa;
An' he's the goodest man ever you saw!
He comes to our house every day,
An' waters the horses, an' feeds 'em hay,
An' he opens the shed
--an' we all ist laugh
When he drives out our little old wobbly calf;
An' nen--if our hired girl says he can
--He milks the cow for 'Lizabuth Ann.
--Ain't he a' awful good Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!
W'y, The Raggedy Man--he's ist so good
He splits the kindlin' an' chops the wood;
An' nen he spades in our garden, too,
An' does most things 'at boys can't do!
--He clumbed clean up in our big tree
An' shooked a' apple down fer me
--An' nother'n, too, fer 'Lizabuth Ann
--An' nother'n, too, fer The Raggedy Man
--Ain't he a' awful kind Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!
An' The Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes
An' tells 'em, ef I be good, sometimes;
Knows 'bout Giunts, an' Griffuns, an' Elves,
An' the Squidgicum-Squees 'at swallers therselves!
An', wite by the pump in our pasture-lot,
He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got,
'At lives 'way deep in the ground, an' can
Turn into me, er 'Lizabuth Ann!
Ain't he a funny old Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!
The Raggedy Man
--one time when he
Wuz makin' a little bow-'n'-orry fer me,
Says, "When you're big like your Pa is,
Air you go' to keep a fine store like his
--An' be a rich merchant
--an' wear fine clothes?
--Er what air you go' to be goodness knows!"
An' nen he laughed at 'Lizabuth Ann.
An' I says "M' go' to be a Raggedy Man!
I'm ist go' to be a nice Raggedy Man!
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!"

James Whitcomb Riley

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Maybe the Raggedy Man in this poem knew more about life than people thought. I can't help thinking that some of the most important things are still best appreciated by children, who "don't know any better." They're not cynical and hardened yet, trying to impress or trying to cover-up. I've had the fog clear about a couple of mistaken identities myself.

That's it for today. When I find something else noteworthy I'll post again.