Backblock Ballads and Later Verses

K’shoo

A Seasodable Rhybe

C.J. Dennis


WHED your dose is code as barble,
    Ad you sduffle all the day,
Ad your head id is behavig
    Id a bost unbleased way;
When your ev’ry joid is achig
    With a very paidful cramb,
When your throat is dry ad tiglish,
    Ad your feed are coe and damb;
When your eyes are red ad rudding
    With the dears that will cub oud;
You cad safely bake your bind ub
    There is very liddle doubd.

You’ve got a code—a code—
    Ad idfluedzal code;
You cahd tell how you coughd id,
    But id’s a got a good firb hode.
Your face is whide, your eyes are pigk,
    Your dose is red ad blue;
Ad you wish that you were—
    Ah—
        Ah—
            Ah—h—
                Kish—SHOO-O-O!!

I dode wad to be a boed,
    Ad I do nod log for fabe,
But I have to wride to get by bread
    Ad budder, all the sabe.
Id is very aggravadig,
    Ad this world is very hard
Whed the idfluenza fasteds
    Od a sendadendal bard.
Oh, I caddod sig of subber skies!
    I caddod twag by lyre!
For all the buses id the world
    Are powerless to idspire.

I’ve got a code—a code—
    A bost udpleased code;
I caddod sig a sog of sprig,
    I caddod bake ad ode.
For inspirashud will nod cub:
    I’b feelig very blue;
Oh, would that I was—
    Ah—
        Ah—
            Ah—h—
                Kish—SHOO-O-O!!

I have to wride adother verse,
    Ad dode doe whad to say;
But I’ve got to buy some bedicid
    To drive this code away;
Oh, the boed’s is a hard, hard life,
    His lod is very sore;
Ad if misfortude cubs to hib,
    He has to toil the bore.
And dow, I thig I’ve bade enough.
    By wridig this last verse,
To go ad buy byself sub stuff
    Before by code gets worse.

I’ve got a code—a code—
    Ad agravatig code!
If I was well I’d wride you such
    A charbig liddle ode.
I’d sig of labkins od the sward,
    Bedeath the skies so blue,
If it wasn’d for the—
    Ah—
        Ah—
            Ah—h—
                Kish—SHOO-O-O!!


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