Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobos and Tramps
"I live in Texas, but I learned this oral-tradition poem-thing in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, from an old man who entertained at Fort Dells in the 1970s." -Philomena
Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobos and Tramps
Poem
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hobos and tramps-
Cross-eyed mosquitoes
And bow-legged ants:
Admission is free,
So pay at the door.
Pull up a chair
and sit down on the floor!
One bright day in the middle of the night,
Two dead boys got up to fight.
Back to back they faced each other;
Drew their swords and shot each other!
A deaf policeman heard the noise
and came to arrest the two dead boys.
If you don't believe this lie is true,
Go ask the blind man: he saw it, too...
"...and he picked up his hammer and saw."*
Notes
*Philomena said old man who would read this at Fort Dells in the 1970's would add this final line.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Philomena Jones for sharing this poem with us!
