 | The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley |  |
2135
ART AND POETRY
TO HOMER C. DAVENPORT
Wess he says, and sort o' grins,
“Art and Poetry is twins!
“Art and Poetry is twins!
“Yit, if I'd my pick, I'd shake
Poetry, and no mistake!
Poetry, and no mistake!
“Pictures, allus 'peared to me,
Clean laid over Poetry!
Clean laid over Poetry!
“Let me draw, and then, i jings,
I'll not keer a straw who sings.
I'll not keer a straw who sings.
“'F I could draw as you have drew,
Like to jes' swap pens with you!
Like to jes' swap pens with you!
“Picture-drawin' 's my pet vision
Of Life-work in Lands Elysian.
Of Life-work in Lands Elysian.
“Pictures is first language we
Find hacked out in History.
Find hacked out in History.
“Most delight we ever took
Was in our first Picture-book.
Was in our first Picture-book.
“'Thout the funny picture-makers,
They'd be lots more undertakers!
They'd be lots more undertakers!
“Still, as I say, Rhymes and Art
'Smighty hard to tell apart.
'Smighty hard to tell apart.
“Songs and pictures go together
Same as birds and summer weather.”
Same as birds and summer weather.”
So Wess says, and sort o' grins,
“Art and Poetry is twins.”
“Art and Poetry is twins.”
| The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley | |