On the Banks o' Deer Crick

On the banks o' Deer Crick! There's the place fer me! --
Worter slidin' past ye jes as clair as it kin be: --
See yer shadder in it, and the shadder o' the sky,
And the shadder o' the buzzard as he goes a-lazein' by;
Shadder o' the pizen-vines, and shadder o' the trees --
And I purt'-nigh said the shadder o' the sunshine and the breeze!

Well -- I never seen the ocean ner I never seen the sea:
On the banks o' Deer Crick's grand enough fer me!

On the banks o' Deer Crick -- mild er two from town --
'Long up where the mill-race comes a-loafin' down, --
Like to git up in there -- 'mongst the sycamores --
And watch the worter at the dam, a-frothin' as she pours:
Crawl out on some old log, with my hook and line,
Where the fish is jes so thick you kin see 'em shine
As they flicker round yer bait, _coaxin_' you to jerk,
Tel yer tired ketchin' of 'em, mighty nigh, as _work_!

On the banks o' Deer Crick! -- Allus my delight
Jes to be around there -- take it day er night! --
Watch the snipes and killdees foolin' half the day --
Er these-'ere little worter-bugs skootin' ever'way! --
Snakefeeders glancin' round, er dartin' out o' sight;
And dew-fall, and bullfrogs, and lightnin'-bugs at night --
Stars up through the tree-tops -- er in the crick below, --
And smell o' mussrat through the dark clean from the old b'y-o!

Er take a tromp, some Sund'y, say, 'way up to "Johnson's Hole,"

And find where he's had a fire, and hid his fishin' pole;
Have yer "dog-leg," with ye and yer pipe and "cut-and-dry" --
Pocketful o' corn-bred, and slug er two o' rye, --
Soak yer hide in sunshine and waller in the shade --
Like the Good Book tells us -- "where there're none to make afraid!"

Well! -- I never seen the ocean ner I never seen the sea --
On the banks o' Deer Crick's grand enough fer me!

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On the Banks o' Deer Crick

James Whitcomb Riley

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