Poetry Archives

Us two wuz boys when we fell out,—
  Nigh to the age uv my youngest now;
Don’t rec’lect what’t wuz about,
  Some small deeff’rence, I’ll allow.
Lived next neighbors twenty years,
  A-hatin’ each other, me ‘nd Jim,—
He havin’ his opinyin uv me,
  ‘Nd I havin’ my opinyin uv him.

Grew up together ‘nd would n’t speak,
  Courted sisters, ‘nd marr’d ’em, too;
Tended same meetin’-house oncet a week,
  A-hatin’ each other through ‘nd through!
But when Abe Linkern asked the West
  F’r soldiers, we answered,—me ‘nd Jim,—
He havin’ his opinyin uv me,
  ‘Nd I havin’ my opinyin uv him.

But down in Tennessee one night
  Ther’ wuz sound uv firin’ fur away,
‘Nd the sergeant allowed ther’ ‘d be a fight
  With the Johnnie Rebs some time nex’ day;
‘Nd as I wuz thinkin’ uv Lizzie ‘nd home
  Jim stood afore me, long ‘nd slim,—
He havin’ his opinyin uv me,
  ‘Nd I havin’ my opinyin uv him.

Seemed like we knew there wuz goin’ to be
  Serious trouble f’r me ‘nd him;
Us two shuck hands, did Jim ‘nd me,
  But never a word from me or Jim!
He went his way ‘nd I went mine,
  ‘Nd into the battle’s roar went we,—
I havin’ my opinyin uv Jim,
  ‘Nd he havin’ his opinyin uv me.

Jim never come back from the war again,
  But I ha’ n’t forgot that last, last night
When, waitin’ f’r orders, us two men
  Made up ‘nd shuck hands, afore the fight.
‘Nd, after it all, it’s soothin’ to know
  That here I be ‘nd yonder’s Jim,—
He havin’ his opinyin uv me,
‘Nd I havin’ my opinyin uv him.