Collected poems by Vachel Lindsay revised and illustrated edition |
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| 1. | I. My Fathers Came from Kentucky
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 | Collected poems by Vachel Lindsay |  |
I. My Fathers Came from Kentucky
I was born in Illinois,—
Have lived there many days.
And I have Northern words,
And thoughts,
And ways.
Have lived there many days.
And I have Northern words,
And thoughts,
And ways.
But my great-grandfathers came
To the west with Daniel Boone,
And taught his babes to read,
And heard the redbird's tune;
To the west with Daniel Boone,
And taught his babes to read,
And heard the redbird's tune;
And heard the turkey's call,
And stilled the panther's cry,
And rolled on the blue-grass hills,
And looked God in the eye.
And stilled the panther's cry,
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And looked God in the eye.
And feud and Hell were theirs;
Love, like the moon's desire,
Love like a burning-mine,
Love like rifle-fire.
Love, like the moon's desire,
Love like a burning-mine,
Love like rifle-fire.
I tell tales out of school
Till these Yankees hate my style.
Why should the young cad cry,
Shout with joy for a mile?
Till these Yankees hate my style.
Why should the young cad cry,
Shout with joy for a mile?
Why do I faint with love
Till the prairies dip and reel?
My heart is a kicking horse
Shod with Kentucky steel.
Till the prairies dip and reel?
My heart is a kicking horse
Shod with Kentucky steel.
No drop of my blood from north
Of Mason and Dixon's line.
And this racer in my breast
Tears my ribs for a sign.
Of Mason and Dixon's line.
And this racer in my breast
Tears my ribs for a sign.
But I ran in Kentucky hills
Last week. They were hearth and home.
And the church at Grassy Springs,
Under the redbird's wings
Was peace and honeycomb.
Last week. They were hearth and home.
And the church at Grassy Springs,
Under the redbird's wings
Was peace and honeycomb.
| Collected poems by Vachel Lindsay | |