Keep Your Mouth Shet - Poem by Robert Kirkland Kernighan

That 's me ! But nobody knows it,

Er's onto the racket but me ;
Wen anyone asks me, ' How goes it?'

I jes keep my mouth shet see?
Wen others are blatherin away

Argyin, chewin and frothin
I quietly cock up my hay,

Er jest saw wood and say nothin !

I 'm sparkin ole Purpletop's gal :

So 's six other fellers sides me ;
Thur talkin her hair outer curl,

Wile I keep me mouth shet see?
They chatter an splutter and hiss,

Like a big lamp-glass with a moth in ;
Wile I casionally corral a kiss,

Er jes saw wood an say nothin !

I reckon I 'm doin um up ;

Each talks too much with his mouth,
While I sit es cool as the North,

An they air as hot es the South.
She sits twixt me an the smarties

A dear little queen on her throne ;
Half-way between the two parties

An elegant Temperate zone !

Las night I held up a ring :

I said ne'er a word I wuz dumb !



She held up her pretty brown hand

Two fingers an one little thumb.
Sez I, in a whisper, ' Three days?'

She frowned, an my bosom was prodded ;
I gasped ' Do you mean in three months?'

She smiled like an angel and nodded !

So you see I am doin um up,

In spite uv ther chinnin an frothin ;
I set by the wood box an grin,

And take it all in and say nothin !